The Garden Club August 25, 2005

August 25, 2005

Brilliant Golden Yellow Blooming Shrub that Loves the Shade!

- Kerria japonica Pleniflora
- Make Your Lawn Beautiful!
- Save on Select Lawn Care Products
- Garden Q&A

Named for an Early Plant Collector
During the late 1700's and early 1800's, William Kerr, a gardener at England's world renowned Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, introduced many plants that he collected during several expeditions to East Asia. These plants include The Tiger Lily, several varieties of bamboo and today's feature plant that was named for Kerr, Kerria japonica 'Pleniflora' or commonly called Japanese Rose.

Brilliant Color in the Shade
Bright color is often difficult to achieve in the shade garden. Imagine brilliant golden yellow in the shade on a shrub that re-blooms in cycles throughout the summer and into the fall. Kerria is a very easy to grow deciduous shrub that is native to the mountains of Japan and south western China. It forms dense mounds of upright green stems that are covered in deep golden yellow, almost tangerine, double ball-shaped flowers. Kerria blooms for up to two months in early spring with sporadic, lighter re-bloom in summer and somewhat heavier re-bloom in autumn. The flowers, like fully-petalled miniature roses, will reach 1 and a half inches across and there will be literally hundreds of them - creating a beautiful display. In the winter the bright green stems remain, adding texture and color to the winter garden. Kerria works especially well as a specimen, in the background or as a screen.

Planting and Care
Kerria is a bushy grower that will reach 6 to 8 feet high and up 4 to 6 feet wide. Kerria is so easy to grow, it would take real talent to kill it. Kerria will be happy in almost any type of soil that is well-drained. Kerria flowers will last longer in part shade, but it can take full sun.

For best results, plant in early spring or fall.
Prefers well-drained soil in light to moderate shade.
Pruning: Cut back one-third of the oldest stems to ground level, after flowering. This will result in more prodigious flowering on a more compact shrub.
Fertilize with Plant-Tone in early spring.
Hardy in Zones 4-9.
From 3 gallon pots for $28.85

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Kerria japonica Pleniflora

Messages from Alan

1. Residential Confront can be applied concurrently with Turf Trust or Espoma 100% Organic Lawn Food. Lawn Fertilizer should not be applied within one month, either before or after, of applying Non-residential Confront. If you are using Non-residential Confront, I recommend applying it now, while the weeds are actively growing, and delaying your late August-early September lawn fertilization for about one month until late October. If you make a second application of Non-residential Confront in late September-early October, omit the first fall lawn fertilization entirely. In any event, the end of November lawn fertilization can take place at the normal time.

2. Many people who used Dimension this spring are finding that a few crab grass snuck through. For total crab grass control, apply 2 applications of Dimension next year - the first in mid-March and the second in mid-May.

3. A lawn can tolerate a light infestation of grubs, but a heavy infestation requires control with Dylox. Be aware that all of the lawn grubs have not developed yet. We recommend applying Dylox right after Labor Day. A light infestation is 6 grubs per square foot. If you find more than that number, treatment with Dylox will be necessary.

Garden Club Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Alan, I have several questions, too many to ask on the program.

1. I pruned my large bird's nest blue spruce a couple years ago following your instructions, however, I have forgotten when the best time is to do it.

2. Can I divide the perennial salvia? If so, when and how?

3. I want to prune the red tip (photonia) espaliered up my garage wall. How far back (i.e., how heavily) can I prune it and when should I do it?

4. What do you recommend for borers?

Answer:

1. The best time to prune your spruce is right after the new growth hardens in the spring. That way, the second smaller growth in late spring will cover the cut ends.

2. Salvias are not easy to divide and I don't recommend it. If you decide to try, I recommend early spring, before the new growth emerges - never in fall. Siberian iris can be divided into fist sized clumps-not smaller-now preferably or in early spring before the new growth emerges.

3. Photonia should be cut back in the spring before the new growth emerges. Cut it back as far as you like - even to the ground. You can't hurt it.

4. Now that Lindane is no longer available, Permethrin is the best borer spray. "Eight" is Bonide's brand of Permethrin. "Super Ten" is Tiger's product.

Question: Alan, our tree hydrangea's flowers are so huge that the branches are drooping over almost to the ground. I am concerned that may break off, particularly if we have a hard rain.

Do you recommend any action, such as propping the branches or pruning the branches off?

Answer: I doubt the branches will break off. In an abundance of caution, you could cut off the lowest "ring" of branches at the trunk and/or you could remove just the flower heads on about half the branches.

Question: I have a great deal of plants that are in containers of water, growing nicely. Is there any type of plant food that you can recommend to assist with their growth? I'm afraid it might burn their roots. Sometimes the leaves turn yellow and I have to pick them off. Is there any way to prevent this? I have Chinese Evergreens, philodendrons, snake plants, and wandering Jew. Thanks.

Answer: It is natural for the oldest leaves on houseplants to turn yellow and die. I prefer to water and fertilize all houseplants with SeaMate at the rate of 1 tablespoon of SeaMate to the gallon of water every time I water. But, all my houseplants are growing in soil. Plants growing in water should have the SeaMate concentration reduced to one half teaspoon to the gallon of water. If the water starts to foul, discontinue the SeaMate and use clear water for about a month.

Question: Do you recommend planting bamboo? If so, what conditions does it need? I have heard that it goes crazy and multiplies. I have also heard that there are certain things it should not be planted near. What are your thoughts?

Answer: Bamboo should be planted only with the utmost caution. Although it starts slowly, once established it cannot be contained reliably except with a 3 foot deep cement barrier. Once established it is extremely difficult to eradicate. Some customers have had to bulldoze away the entire top 3 feet of soil to remove the bamboo. Weed killers will work, but it involves a three to five year process of weekly spraying.

Question: I heard a brief mention of Crape Myrtles on your show last Saturday, but unfortunately someone called me during your discussion. Ours is now close to 7' tall and is blooming well for the first time in 15 or so years. Please tell me the proper after bloom care and any feeding and pruning procedures we should follow. Thank you.

Answer: Crape Myrtle does best with no significant pruning. However, I do recommend you clip off just the seed pods in November.

Fertilize with Plant-Tone and Kelp Meal in the early spring only.

If necessary, pruning should be done in spring (April), just as the new leaves emerge. That way, you can tell which branches are alive and which are not. Incidentally, I have never known a hardy Crape Myrtle that is in full sun and not excessively pruned to have bloomed poorly, or not at all, for 15 years.

Question: Alan, I have a Crape Myrtle bush, approx. 9 feet high. It is quite "bushy" & I would like to make it more "tree-like." How do I do this? Thank you in advance for taking the time to reply.

Answer: I doubt you have a straight, single trunk, amongst the stems that comprise your bush Crape Myrtle. And, there probably isn't a branch that is straight enough to train into a single trunk. But, you can make a beautiful multi-stemmed crape myrtle tree. I prefer the artistic appearance of the multiple stems to the single stem anyway.

Select 3 to 5 of the strongest stems - preferably those that are the largest, that arise from closest to the ground and those that do not cross over each other. Then simply remove all of the lateral branches from the bottom four feet. For the next 2 feet selectively remove all but 6 to 10 strong-growing, large, up-growing branches - if you have that many. Every year, remove all of the young shoots that sprout out on the portions of the branches you have just cleaned.

Question: My lawn is being taken over by Vietnamese Stilt Grass. There is too much to pull out by hand. I used Dimension in March, but that didn't seem to do anything. Is there any product that I can apply that will kill it without killing whatever grass remains? How can I get rid of it short of digging up the lawn and reseeding? Many thanks.

Answer: Stilt Grass can be controlled with two applications of Dimension - one in mid-March and one in mid-May. If the stilt grass is in the nearby woods, it needs to be controlled there also. Otherwise it will seed right back into the lawn.

Question: I have one of the Kopper King Hibiscus and it's gorgeous. When I cut it in the fall, is that a good time to separate it? How do I do that? Thank you.

Answer: Hibiscus get divided in the spring several weeks before the new shoots emerge. In most locations the shoots emerge in May - one of the latest perennials to sprout.

Perennial hibiscus usually is not divided more frequently than every two to three years. If you have about eight stems, your hibiscus can be divided in half. Larger hibiscus can be divided into more sections. Look for the remnants of last years stems or "eyes" where the new stems are starting to emerge. Each section should have about four of one or the other. The process is relatively simple. Dig up the hibiscus, allowing for its broad root spread and very brittle roots. Lay the hibiscus facing up on the lawn. (If you lay it on its side you will surely break off the brittle side roots). Wash the roots clean of soil. Cut the sections apart with a large butcher knife or an axe. (Any roots that break off without eyes will not grow). Plant each section back in a moist, sunny area. Space 3 feet (or farther) apart.

Question: I'm writing to ask your advice on boxwoods. I used the spring formula this year with great results, so I'm back. I am planting some English Boxwoods now - a little earlier than I had wanted to, but I need to get them in. Any advice on soil mix/things to add? The ones I'm planting are about 10" tall now. Thanks.

Answer: The sooner you plant the boxwood, the better. Mix Chesapeake Blue Crab Compost and Kelp Meal into the soil. Make the mix one third Chesapeake Blue and use a couple of handfuls of Kelp Meal for each boxwood. Apply no fertilizer until spring. Then use Plant-Tone, Flower-Tone or Bulb-Tone - not Hollytone. When you are finished planting, mulch with "Pine Fines" one to two inches deep.

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