Comment: I was recently working with a homeowner who had a dogwood that was half dead. She said it had never done well from the day it was planted 35 years ago. We decided that 35 years was long enough to wait for this dogwood to take hold and perform. We decided to replace it. When we dug out the dogwood I was amazed at what I saw. This dogwood was planted in rot proof burlap which was neither loosened nor removed—so of course most of the roots could not penetrate it and those few that did were strangled by the burlap filaments. What is amazing is that after 35 years this burlap looked like new. Absolutely no decomposition, and the burlap looked like it would remain in tact for another 100 years. So of course the poor tree strangled and without proper root growth, suffered greatly and died back in periods of drought.

Question: I went on a bulb buying spree in the spring and I bought gladiolus, cannas, dahlias, elephant ears and lilies. Is it true that I have to dig up these bulbs this fall and store them and replant them next spring? How do I do that?

Answer:  Lilies are the only bulbs that you mentioned that do not need to be dug up where you are in zone 6. Occasionally, in a really protected place, some of the other bulbs will make it through a mild winter.

In the olden days when basements were cooler, bulb storage was easier. Now with warmer basements it is difficult to find a place that stays cool, but still does not freeze—the conditions that stored bulbs require. I suggest digging the bulbs and cutting off their tops after the frost has damaged them. I let the bulbs dry for a week or two in a warm place away from the danger of frost. (Delay dividing the bulbs until early spring). Layer your bulbs in a large container that breathes (like a wooden bushel basket) using dry peat moss between the layers. Do not use something that is impervious to air flow, such as a plastic bag. Store your containers in the coolest, darkest place you can find that does not freeze.

Answer:  It may have had borers in the trunk and/or it may have been a type of birch that is inappropriate for your area. Lots of them are sold and they shouldn't be. You are too far south for many birches to survive. They resent our heat. I suggest you re-plant with Duraheat birch or Heritage birch, the best two varieties that are suited to your area. They should do fine even though another birch died in the same spot. Be sure to keep the spot sufficiently moist until the new birch gets established. I also suggest you drench the soil surrounding the birch with Merit insecticide each spring. Merit helps control some insects that weaken birches. You might also consider a fastigiate hornbeam - Carpinus betulus fastigiata.

Question: Alan, thank you for warning me about the frost. My car was covered with ice this morning. The reason why it was outside was because I put all my houseplants in the garage and left the car outside. What should I do now before I bring them indoors?

Answer: Before I bring my houseplants indoors, I always drench everything with Insecticidal Soap and work Di-syston systemic granules into the top layer of soil. I found this combination works pretty well to prevent bringing insects indoors and controlling any that may show up. I usually do my re-potting now before I bring the plants indoors, but I have had equal success re-potting in the spring as I am putting the plants outside. (Withhold the Di-syston on any plant you are re-potting until re-potting is complete). Plants vary greatly in the frequency with which they need to be re-potted. In general, most houseplants get re-potted every other year or when the roots are growing through the bottom of the pots. Be sure to use a high quality, light weight professional potting soil. I prefer the Fafard. For most plants, I prefer clay pots because they allow the roots to breathe better and they wick up water which increases the humidity surrounding the plant. I like to use “azalea pots”. They are not as deep as regular pots (And thus less likely to tip over), but deeper than shallow bulb pots. I usually increase only one to two pot sizes at a time. Thus if a plant is in an 8 inch pot, I go to either a 9 or 10 inch pot.