Question: I bought my Knockout Roses several years ago when they had just come out. I seem to remember at that time Knockout was listed as growing only about 3 feet tall and about as wide. Mine have grown well over 4 feet almost 5. It is just as disease resistant and beautiful as promised, but do I have the true Knockout Rose?

Question: I know I should prune my roses around the middle of March. I know to prune away the canes that are totally dead, but there are all those questionable canes where I am just not sure if they are alive or dead. Is there any easy way to tell?

Answer:  The color of the pith is a good indicator of the health of the cane. The pith is the central part of the cane. After cutting the cane, check out the pith. If it is brown, the cane should be cut further down, until you observe ivory or green in the center of the cross section. Keep cutting successively with one inch cuts until you find live wood. When in doubt, leave the cane; you can always go back and cut it off later if it doesn't leaf out fully. Remember to use your Nubark Rose Stick to prevent cane borers from entering the cuts.

Answer: The timing of the Forsythia bloom is caused primarily by soil temperature not air temperature. The same is true of crabgrass germination. We use Forsythia as an indicator because it is so ubiquitous. In order to get a full year's crabgrass prevention with one application of Dimension Crabgrass Preventer, the timing must be precise. If you apply the crabgrass preventer too early, it will lose effectiveness before the crabgrass finishes germinating. If you apply it too late, the crabgrass will have already germinated. No matter how precise the application timing, most other crabgrass preventers require 2 applications for complete control. The bag doesn't always tell you this prominently, but my experience has been that mass marketed crabgrass preventers require 2 applications.

We used to recommend applying Barricade when the Forsythia just came into bloom; but Barricade was so long lasting that after several years' application, it built up in the soil and fall germination of good grass seed was poor. Dimension kills not only the germinating seed, but also the young seedlings. That's why we now recommend you apply Dimension a little later-- as the Forsythia is just past peak bloom. Applied at this time, Dimension will remain totally effective until just before it is time for late summer seeding.

Question: About a year and half ago in the fall, on your recommendation, I planted a Beautybush hedge. Alan, at that time you told me that it would take a couple of years to get going. Last year I didn't see much new growth and very few flowers. Some of the plants have sent up one long new shoot. Should I cut it back? What should I feed them and when? Can I expect to see more blooms this year?

Answer: Beautybush (Kolkwitzia) often doesn't flower well at an early age. Also, it takes a couple of years to really get going with new growth. But it is well worth the wait. Because Kolkwitzia is slow growing, it doesn't require nearly as much pruning as some of the faster growing deciduous hedges like Weigelia and Forsythia. In spite of its slow start, Beautybush is one of my absolute favorite deciduous hedging shrubs.

I suggest feeding in late fall and early spring with kelp meal and either Plant-Tone or Cottonseed Meal. The shoots should probably be cut back by half in the spring. This year I suspect you will see many more long shoots like the ones you have now. Once you start to get several long shoots from each bush, you don't need to cut them back. The new shoots will fill out the next year. As Beautybushes mature, they cease to send out long shoots.

Question: My mother used to put coffee grounds and banana peels around her roses. She said it made them do much better. I certainly remember her having beautiful roses when I was growing up. Is this practice still recommended? Also I remember my dad boring holes into a tree stump that he had just cut down. He then poured acid into the holes and put a cork to seal each hole.

Old time gardeners used to pour sulphuric acid into tree stumps to cause them to decompose more quickly. It worked; but it is not a practice I recommend. The use of sulphuric acid requires great care. There is too much danger of it splashing on your body, the eyes in particular, and your clothing. Use powdered milk instead; it works more slowly but with a lot less danger.