Question: Have had one Weigela planted in a sunny location for a number of years. Never gets flowers and plant looks healthy--any ideas?

Answer: I suspect deer are eating off the new growth with the flowers buds in the spring. (Or, possibly you are pruning at the wrong time). If it’s deer, you can either net the Weigela with deer netting in winter and spring. It is almost invisible. Alternatively you can use a deer repellent such as Deervik—a long-lasting paste applied to tags that you hang around the plant you are trying to protect. Deervik also repels rabbits.

Answer: I have had better luck with Surfina petunias than Wave petunias. All petunias in baskets usually need a good fertilizing and cut-back in mid-late July. I see lots of Wave petunias in the ground that look good. If yours are dying, it may be that the soil is too heavy and wet. If you believe that to be the case, I would not replant with petunias in that spot next year. Amending and treating the soil is just too much work. Choose another more moisture tolerant bedding plant. I can’t diagnose a fungus or insect problem without more information. Spraying with Orthonex will help rectify several common petunia problems.

These weeds were humongous, some as tall as 4 to 5 feet. Some of the weeds almost looked like small elm leaves. Most of the weeds had thick stems, some woody, coming from the ground. I actually had to take a small saw on some of them to cut them at the base. I put two different types of weed killer on them. In addition, some of them emitted some sort of poison, since I got poison something and had to go on Prednisone for 10 days. The over-the-counter medications just didn't cure my arms and legs.

I was talking to her neighbor who did cut down the weeds for her last year and put weed killer on them but to no avail. My question is: What can I use on these weeds to finally eradicate them? Cutting them out is impossible since most of them are jutting out of old asphalt, for others, the bases are just too thick for me to attempt to dig out. Is there any hope to kill these things? I'll be going back to her house over Labor Day weekend.

Answer: Most weed killers work thorough the leaves. If you cut the weeds down and then spray the weed killers, they are not very effective. (Exception: on woody shrubs and trees, you can drill holes in the cut off stumps and pour concentrated glysophate into the hole).

By Labor Day, the weeds will have resprouted and should be susceptible to weed killer. Fall applied weed killer is particularly effective, because at that time of year, plants are moving nutrients (along with the weed killer) to their roots. If you have no intention of ever planting in the area, you can use Triox. If you do intend to replant the area, an application of glysophate immediately preceded by an application of a 2, 4 D-based brush killer should be very effective.

Question: Our hanging baskets always look great for a few weeks after I buy them. By the middle of July, they always look awful. We have only part sun, but that is not the whole problem. I simply don’t have the time to give the daily care that hanging baskets need. Is there any type of low maintenance hanging basket that I can buy that will look nice into fall? It doesn’t have to be spectacular, just alive and neat and tidy.

Answer: I suggest you try wire baskets planted simply with variegated vinca vine. By fall the vinca should be about 8 feet long and touch the ground. The new varieties of vinca have much better variegated foliage contrast than the old ones. Also, in most climates, you can carry the vinca basket over from year to year without much work. The long trailing vine will give a dramatic tropical look to your home. It will only require watering a couple times a week and will never require deadheading. If you need height in the center, put a “spike” plant in the center of each basket.

Question:  I read about your Alliums in last week’s newsletter. I have a spot around a flag pole that is very dry and I can’t easily get water to it. I am looking for something short that rabbits won’t eat and which will require very little watering. I was thinking of putting the green Allium senescens around the flag pole and then a circle of Allium senescens Glaucum on the outside. Will this work?

Answer: I have never tried the combination you have suggested, but it should be very nice. Allium senescens Glaucum blooms after Allium senescens, so you should have over a month of color. Once the Alliums get established, they shouldn’t require any supplemental watering except in cases of extreme drought. However, you will have to water about once a week, when there is no rain, while the Alliums are establishing themselves. I have never known either deer or rabbits to eat these Alliums. In fact, the deer and rabbit resistant lists are just about the same. Alliums are on just about every deer-resistant list that I have seen.

Question: On your radio show last week you said that Confront shouldn’t be applied in the summer to control clover because it isn’t actively growing at this time of the year. What about “creeping Charlie”? Creeping Charlie seems to be growing like crazy in my lawn just now. Can I apply Confront now or should I wait until fall or spring? I really want to kill the creeping Charlie now and reseed in the fall. Is this possible?

Answer: You are right, creeping Charlie (ground ivy) is still growing in many places this summer, whereas clover is not in active growth. I still believe creeping Charlie is most susceptible to Confront when it first greens up in the spring. But, Confront will do an adequate job if killing creeping Charlie in the summer in places where it is still actively growing.