Bulbs |  | Last year when my mother passed away a friend gave me some tulips. Someone said you can plant them in flower boxes so I did. This year they came up in March and died out because of the cold weather. My question is, should I transplant them in the ground or can I leave them in the boxes and maybe plant them deeper to keep them from coming up so early? Roxane, Garfield |  | Hello, Roxane: I am sorry for your loss. I am also sorry you did not get to see your tulips in bloom. Hopefully they were in bloom when you received them. Tulips provide wonderful color in the spring garden but they are best treated as an annual in our zone. The bulbs themselves are hardy and will continue to produce foliage year after year, but unfortunately each year they are left in the ground or in a container the number of blooms will decrease. Tulips should be planted about 6 inches deep but this is not the reason for the lack of blooms this year. You did not do anything wrong, this is just how tulips perform here in Kentucky. For best results new bulbs should be planted each fall to ensure a spectacular show the following spring. |
Evergreen plants | | I have six or seven juniper shrubs that my dogs like to pee on and they are browning. Will they come back this summer or just die? Angela, Taber | | Hello, Angela: Thank you for your question concerning your junipers. Having dogs and a garden is certainly doable, it just requires some sacrifices. Dogs typically choose one area to use as a bathroom, and since the urine is so concentrated it will do damage to any plant material. A little bit of nitrogen is good but too much will burn the plants. How tall are your junipers and can you limb them up so that the dogs can't reach any of the foliage? If the junipers you have are more of a groundcover I am sorry to tell you that they will not survive if they are constantly being used as a bathroom. The parts that have already turned brown are no longer living so they should be removed. Most evergreens, including junipers, do not put on new growth after dieback occurs. Short of rushing out to the yard to hose off the junipers after the dogs use the bathroom you are better off mulching or hardscaping the area and letting the dogs have it. If this is a space that you would rather have planted it might be worth the time and money to install some edging or a low fence so the dogs cannot reach the plants. |
Landscaping | | Can you give me some tips on the care of azaleas? Mine is taking its time blooming this year. Rita, Irvington | | Hi, Rita: If the overall health of your azalea is good, there is little reason to be concerned. Things are running a bit late this year in terms of new growth and bloom time. By the time you receive this response, your azalea may be in full bloom. We had an extended period of cooler temperatures earlier this spring and this is the natural response for plant material. Another factor to consider is the variety of azalea you have. The spring bloomers can open anywhere from March until May and the blooms typically last about two weeks. As a general rule, azaleas thrive when planted in a well-drained slightly acidic soil (pH 5.5-6). You can have your soil tested by contacting your County Cooperative Extension Service. The results will indicate the pH of your soil. Most azalea varieties prefer morning sun and afternoon shade. If your shrub is well-established, it is probably just responding to Mother Nature. If this is not the case, you can take a sample to your local garden center or to your Extension agent to have them look at it and see if there is something else going on. Pruning at the wrong time of year will result in loss of blooms the following spring. I hope this is helpful and your azalea will soon be in full bloom! |
| | Hello Angie,
I enjoy your 'Ask the Gardener' column. I have two problems. We have a wonderful golden retriever, Abbey, 9 months old, and if I wanted to plant trees everywhere she has already dug the holes! Next, Abbey has a chain-link fence in our 1/2+ acre back yard. (I had flowerbeds BA! I know she will grow up one day.) What can I plant outside and along it to make it more attractive? I have never seen an article on this problem. Rosemary, Smiths Grove | | Hi, Rosemary: Thank you for your kind words. I am glad you are enjoying the column. Having a dog does not mean you need to give up your garden. It does mean you might have to sacrifice a bit, but it sounds like you have plenty of space for Abbey and a garden. I am sure Abbey is adorable and she will learn with some guidance from you, but for now it is a training game. You might consider using some edging around your beds on the inside of the fence so she will learn that this is not her space to play in. Planting along the other side of the fence will allow you to have a garden that she cannot get to, but in terms of plant material this will depend on the amount of sunlight the area receives and how much space you have. Do you want to plant trees, shrubs, grasses, perennials, annuals, or a combination of all? If you can give me more specific details about what you would like to plant and the amount of sunlight the space receives on a daily basis, I can give you suggestions. When it is time to plant, it is a good idea to leave Abbey inside so she cannot see you digging. If she sees you digging she will want to do the same and it seems like she already has a head start!
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| | I have a huge rose bush. When can I trim it way back? Kim, Lebanon Junction | | Hi, Kim: Thank you for your question regarding your “huge” rose. If left to grow wild they will do just that and can become quite large and leggy in appearance. Your shrub will benefit from annual pruning. The best time of year to prune your rose depends on what kind you have. The re-bloomers, including the floribunda, grandiflora, and hybrid-tea roses, should be pruned in the late winter/early spring just as they are breaking dormancy. If you have an heirloom/ old-fashioned rose that only blooms once a year, it should be pruned after it has finished blooming. All dead, diseased, and damaged wood should be removed from all roses as soon as you notice it. This will prevent disease spread. Use a clean sharp pair of pruners and wear a good pair of leather gloves when you prune your rose. Thinning out the inside of the shrub will increase air circulation and reduce the chance of disease and insect problems. Remove all crossing and rubbing canes and all suckers /rootstock coming up at ground level. As a general rule you do not want to remove more than one-third of the entire size of the plant. If you want to remove more than this you can do it in consecutive years. If you need specific pruning instructions visit www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/ho/ho59/ho59.htm and www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/ho/ho59/ho59.htm
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| | I need help with a September 27, 2008, wedding on our family farm. Dirt was moved as we leveled a spot for the ceremony on this mostly red clay soil.
#1 Do you think we can get a good stand of grass by the end of September?
#2 What kind of grass seed do you recommend for this area that gets sun most all of the day?
#3 What kind of grass seed do you recommend for a different area that remains shaded by trees most of the day?
Thank you. Belinda, Brandenburg | | Hello, Belinda: It sounds like you have your hands full! I do think that you can have a lush lawn by the wedding date although the best window of opportunity for seeding cool-season grasses has passed. The best time to sow grass seed is mid-August to mid-September, and the second best time is from mid-February to mid-April, depending on the weather. You can still put grass seed down as long as you will be in town to keep it watered. A newly graded lawn should be given time to settle before planting. A few good rains will help this process. Make sure it is draining properly before you plant. Since this is a “must have” for the end of September, you might consider having sod laid. This can be a daunting task for someone who has never done it before, so it would be well worth the money to have a professional install it for you. You can contact your County Cooperative Extension Service for local recommendations. The horticulture/agriculture agent(s) will be able to help. The Meade County phone number is (270) 422-4958. For both the sunny and shady locations you want to seed/sod, choose a fescue blend made specifically for sun/shade. Visit your local garden center, farm supply store, or even your local hardware store. They should have bags or bulk blends of fescue for both the sun and the shade.
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| | In 2004 I planted two weeping pussy willow trees, and they were absolutely beautiful. This year one did not bloom at all, and the other looks sick. I do not know why this year they are struggling so; any thoughts on what to do? They are trying, but they look really bad.
Sarah, Wolverine | | Hello, Sarah: I am sorry to hear about your willow trees. Hopefully it is not too late to save them. They are such a great architectural addition to the garden. I am not sure which one you have but it is likely Salix caprea ‘Pendula,’ which is most commonly found in the nursery trade. Unfortunately, they do have a reputation for being short-lived. They are also susceptible to many insect and disease problems, including stem canker, stem borer, and leaf beetles. As a general rule, willow trees do not like dry soil. They thrive when planted in wet areas with full sun. If they are subject to dry conditions they can become very problematic. I am not sure if you have had the same weather we have had in Kentucky, but last year's drought along with the freeze we had last April and the ice storms this past winter could all be contributing factors of the decline of your trees. To pinpoint the problem with your specific trees, you can take a sample of your tree(s) to your local garden center/nursery or to your County Cooperative Extension Service. They will be able to give you a better idea of what is going on with your trees and what can be done to help them. |
| | We have a log house with a blue tin roof, sitting high on a sloped site in full front sun. There are no trees or shrubs on this old farm field. Haven't got a clue what to plant at the foundation--can you suggest something that looks natural and not just a hedge or boxwoods? Patty, leitchfield | | Hello, Patty: Landscaping around your log home will soften the look and feel of the home. A boxwood hedge is nice for a formal situation but it sounds like you want something a bit more whimsical. The best way to achieve this look is to combine different plant material. Using evergreens as a backdrop will give you winter interest and then you can add sun-loving perennials that will provide color from the spring until the fall. The key to a great garden is choosing plants that bloom at different times so that just as one is finished blooming another one will begin. Grasses would also work for a backdrop. I like to leave mine up all winter and then cut them back in the early spring. Russian sage (Pervoskia) is another favorite that has lavender blooms in the summer and silvery stems in the winter. They grow quite tall so this could also be used as a backdrop. Start by choosing something tall for the back of the bed and then plant lower-growing sun-loving perennials to stagger in the front of the bed. If you do not want more than one of each plant just make sure that the height is consistent and that you do not have lower-growing plants in back of taller ones. The following is a list of perennials that would work in your situation: Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), salvia which has a purple/blue bloom and would play off of the color of your roof, coneflowers, gaura, baptisia, amsonia, which is also a blue bloomer, dianthus, and phlox, just to name a few. Visit your local garden centers to see what catches your eye. They may even have a designer that can give you advice. If you have pictures to take with you this will be helpful. Visit www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/ho/ho76/ho76.htm for a list of sun-loving perennials. |
| | We have railroad ties in our garden area. How long before the traces of creosote will be gone and we can use the area for our garden again? Vickie, Mt.Washington | | Hello again, Vickie: Creosote is the black tar that is applied to railroad ties to prevent decay. This tar is created when coal is heated to produce natural gas. It is a broad term for many different chemical compounds. The Environmental Protection Agency has defined creosote as a probable carcinogen. Vegetable plants have only a limited potential of taking up these chemicals through the root system. As I mentioned before, it is more common in tuberous plants. The real concern would be if the foliage were to come into contact with the railroad ties. It is thought that the creosote does not leach more than 6-8 inches away from the source. If you want to use them for your beds, you can line them with plastic and leave a good foot between the railroad ties and your actual plants. You can still use the area for planting, just make sure not to plant directly on top of where the railroad ties were lying, and to be safe take the bed in 6-12 inches and then begin planting. It is very possible that there are no traces of creosote in your garden, but better safe than sorry. |
Vegetables | | The best tomato I have ever had was from the Homely Homer plant. I was able to get a plant last year but am finding it difficult to find this year. Do you know anyone who is carrying the Homely Homer tomato plants this season? Becky, Erlanger | | Hi, Becky: I had not heard of the Homely Homer tomato until now. I found that it is available from Bert R. Hybels Inc., which is a grower in Kalmazoo, Michigan. I do not believe they sell to the public but you may call them to see if they sell to a retailer in your area. Their phone number is (800) 449-2357. You may also call around to your local garden centers to see if they carry them, and if they don’t they may be willing to special order them for you as long as the growers have them. The Farmer's Market is also a great source for a large variety of tomatoes and tomato plants. I hope you are able to find your favorite tomato! |
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