Evergreen plants |  | I have two acres shaped like a rectangle. Our house is closer to a neighbor's on one side than the other. I want to plant some trees to help buffer between the two properties. My problem is the distance I will be covering. If you had to buffer the length of a football field (or longer) what trees would be best? I have read about the Thuja Green Giants. I'm looking for width, height, thick cover in summer and winter. James, Mt Washington |  | Hi, James in Kentucky: Landscaping with evergreens is a great way to provide screening. Choosing the right plant for your space is important in terms of health and longevity. You are covering quite a large space and it will be an investment so making a good choice the first time is even more important for you. First you will need to determine how much sun/shade this space receives. This will be the most important factor in making your decision. There are certainly more evergreen choices if the area receives more sun than shade. Technically full sun is considered six hours of direct light each day, anything less than three is considered shade, and anything in between is part sun. You will also want to take into consideration the soil you will be planting in. You may want to have it tested by your County Cooperative Extension Service before planting. The results will indicate the pH as well as the nutrient levels. If you are thinking the larger the better in terms of height and width, the Thuja you mentioned is a great choice if you have full sun. They are fast-growing, long-live evergreens that are not prone to many disease or insect problems. ‘Green Giant’ is a large variety reaching up to 60 feet tall and around 15 feet wide at maturity. It will certainly take less quantity to plant these as opposed to a smaller growing evergreen. Other large evergreen options for sun are juniper, holly, and pine. Hemlocks would be a good choice if you are dealing with more shade. |
| | We bought a 4" cypress tree from The Home Depot in early November and immediately I potted it in a very big ceramic pot (http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202519338/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053). I was keeping it indoors and next to our only window with SOME sunlight; it's a north-facing window in Chicago so there is not much sun. After a few days the leaves started to go dry and the branches started falling apart from each other. I thought it could be the flies around the tree and, based on a suggestion from a guy at The Home Depot, I sprayed a half & half beer and water on it, which killed the bugs but the tree got worse. Then I read on in the Internet that it should be outside in the cold, and it was there for two or three weeks, then I brought it back in because nothing changed; then I removed it from the pot, spread its roots, and opened them a little and put it back in the pot. Now it is somewhere away from the direct sunlight but the condition has not changed and it has bugs. Its condition now is this: the small branches at the bottom have completely dry leaves, some leaves at the top are still feel kind of fresh to the touch but mostly dry so that if you touch them they my fall out. All the leaves are green but dry, and instead of being fluffy they are thin and like little thorns. I really want to do anything to save this plant and I really appreciate your time and your help and suggestions.
Keivan, Chicago | | Hello, Keivan in Chicago: I am not certain which cypress you purchased, but all members of the Cupressaceae family are cold-hardy to at least zone 7 and most of them zone 6, which is what I believe you are gardening in. So, from what you have described I don’t think you will be surprised to hear that your evergreen is not happy and, depending on the severity of the issue(s), it may be too far gone to save. Unfortunately, once evergreen show signs of stress it is often too late to reverse the inevitable. They typically do not put on new growth after losing their foliage. You mentioned that you purchased a 4” cypress and then potted it up in a large container. As a general rule when we re-pot we do not want to increase the container size more than 2 inches from what it is currently growing in. Doing so increases the chances of over-watering and potentially causing root rot. It is better to let the plant root out in a smaller container and then bump it up as it grows. As for keeping this plant indoors, it really depends on which cypress you are growing. The Web site you sent was a container so I am not sure if you thought this was specific information on the plant or not, but if you still have the grower's tag I can be more specific. Unless you are growing the Arizona or smooth cypress, this plant would be much happier growing outdoors. These evergreens require a cold dormancy period and keeping it indoors will not allow this to happen. As for the bugs, are you referring to fungus gnats? I have not heard of spraying any plant with beer and would not recommend it, but sticky traps are effective if it is fungus gnats you are dealing with. If you are really determined to save this plant, you should first get a positive diagnosis on the insect you are dealing with and then treat accordingly. Your County Cooperative Extension Office will have a horticulture agent on staff that can help you or you can take it to a reputable nursery with a horticulturist on staff. They will also be able to tell you what kind of cypress you are growing, and if it is hardy in your zone put it outside as soon as possible. Depending on the size of the container it is growing in you may choose a smaller one if needed. All cypress grow best in full sun, which technically means six hours of direct light. When the light levels are so much lower during the winter months it is necessary to place it in a southern exposure. Cut back on your watering during the winter months and do not fertilize until the spring. |
Flowers - Annuals | | I have my potted plants (most in clay pots) on my porch. Will they live through 20 degree weather if they are covered? Brenda, Columbia | | Hi, Brenda in South Carolina: The answer to your question really depends on what plants you are growing in your containers. Each individual species of plant has its own tolerance in terms of low temperatures. If these are hardy plants, meaning they can survive the low temperatures in your hardiness zone, then they should be fine. The main concern is that the soil does not completely dry out or become water-logged due to improper drainage. Since they are on a covered porch you will have to hand water every couple of weeks, but you want to avoid fertilizing until the spring. When we grow hardy plants in containers we have to remember that there is always a chance of loss due to the fact that they do not have as much insulating soil surrounding them as they would in the ground. On the other hand, if these are annual or tropical plants you are trying to over-winter, you are better off putting them in a warmer space. Most annuals/tropicals will not tolerate the lows you will experience this winter. As a general rule, most annuals do not over-winter well but tropicals do quite well when brought indoors to survive the winter months. They will be happiest when placed in a south-facing window or any brightly lit space. If you give me more specifics in terms of what you are growing I can give you more detailed information. |
| | I overwinter our geraniums in the garage and I'm curious how the blooms dry and remain red all winter but are dead on this living plant? Richard, Simpsonville | | Hello, Richard from Kentucky: To answer your question simply, some flowers lose their color as the bloom ages while others do not. This is why when people make dried arrangements with their cut flowers they are choosing specific ones based on how long the colors and the bloom itself will hold up. There are certain blooms that last longer than others. The topic of bloom color is actually more complicated than one might think. Not to get too technical but the color we see is really light reflected from different plant pigments. Anthocyanidins are the main group of compounds that make up these pigments. Our perception of these colors may differ depending on the time of day, light conditions, moisture/nutrition levels, as well as changes in temperature. The fact that your geraniums are moved to a cooler space out of the direct sun may have an effect on the color fading or lack thereof. The main reason for bloom color is to attract pollinating insects. Although as gardeners we might think the colors are specifically for our satisfaction, and in some cases the flower color has actually been manipulated by scientists for gardening purposes, but the real purpose is for fruit production. As colors fade it can be an indication to pollinating insects that their service is no longer needed. |
House Plants | | How do you take care of a poinsettia after it's done blooming? Robert, Greenfield | | Hi, Robert in Indiana: Euphorbia pulcherrima, commonly known as poinsettias, are a traditional Christmas decoration. There are now a variety of colors available, including different shades of reds, pinks, and cream. These Mexican natives prefer to grow in a sunny window with an air temperature no less than 60 degrees F. A watering schedule will depend on the temperature and humidity of your home but in general they should be watered every seven to 10 days or sooner if the soil is dry. They do not like to have wet roots so keep the soil on the dry side as opposed to over-watering, and make sure the container has sufficient drainage. As for getting your poinsettia to re-bloom, this can be done but it requires more than just patience. If you would like to try to get it to bloom again next Christmas you will want to continue watering on a regular basis until early April. Then it will need to go through a drying phase where it should be kept in a space where the air temperature is as close to 60 degrees F as possible and has good circulation. When the middle of May arrives you will want to cut back the stems to about 4 inches, repot with a good quality container mix, and water it well. Move it to a warmer location, preferably a south-facing window, and wait for it to put on new growth; when it does go ahead and give it a dose of your favorite water-soluble fertilizer and repeat every two weeks. In June you should move the plant outdoors to a sunny location, continuing to water and fertilize. In early July pinch back about one inch of each stem and do this again in late August, leaving only three to four leaves on each stem. At this time you can bring it back indoors and place it in a sunny window. When October arrives the plant will require complete darkness from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. each day; otherwise it should be in a sunny window. To get the poinsettia to re-bloom around Christmas time it will need this daily dark time until Thanksgiving. Continue to fertilize until mid-December and once again enjoy the blooms. Some would consider the poinsettia to be disposable after the holidays; in some cases it is easier to leave the work up to the professional growers and then purchase another one the following season.
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Landscaping | | My favorite flower is hibiscus and I was wondering if I could grow them in Kentucky: would they survive? Amanda, Elizabethtown | | Hi, Amanda in Kentucky: Hibiscus flowers are certainly a favorite among many gardeners. Here in Kentucky we can grow the tropical varieties outdoors during the warmer months but we have to over-winter them indoors since they will not tolerate our winter temperatures. These hibiscus are found in abundance at garden centers during the early summer months. They are usually shrub form but are also available as standards (tree form) and sometimes braided. We can also grow hardy hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos), which are large shrubs reaching 4-6 feet every season. They produce dinner plate-size blooms, much larger than the tropical varieties. Hardy hibiscus can add a tropical feel to any sun-loving perennial garden here in Kentucky. They are deciduous shrubs that require pruning every year and as long as you have a space that will receive full sun (a minimum of six hours daily) during the growing season you should add one or more to your garden. They can be a bit harder to find than the tropical hibiscus but they are certainly available. You can ask at your local garden centers to see if they carry them or if they can order one for you. The most common colors available are white, pink, and red. |
| | There is an area in my back yard that used to be part of a farmer's pond. It does not drain very well at all but gets lots of sunlight. I was wondering if I could plant apple trees in a raised bed in this area, and if so what would be the recommended height of the bed? Bruce, Louisville | | Hi, Bruce in Kentucky: I am sorry to tell you that unless you address the drainage issue, planting apple trees in this space is not ideal. Apple trees will not thrive in poorly draining soils; they really do not like wet feet. So you have a couple of options: you can fill in the space with top soil and amendments without dealing with the lack of drainage, and then choose plants that are tolerable of these conditions, or you can improve the drainage and then fill in the space with good top soil along with plenty of amendments. Unfortunately, just adding soil will not make the space suitable for any plant requiring well-drained soil. No matter how far down the drainage issue occurs it will always affect the surface layer as well. So it actually is a more complicated situation than just adding soil to fill in the space. If you are not interested in resolving the drainage problem then you can add soil to the level where it is flush with the surrounding landscape and then landscape with plants that are recommended for moist soil. If you are specifically looking for an edible fruit, a serviceberry (Amelanchier) would be a good option. Other sun-loving tree options that will tolerate these conditions include: red maple (Acer rubrum), bald cypress (Taxodium distilchum), ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius), Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostoboides), river birch (Betula nigra), and sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua). There are also many ornamental grasses, shrubs, and perennials that are suitable for this type of situation. Please let me know if you would like more recommendations. |
Plant Propagation | | The seed pods on my night blooming jasmine have gotten knocked off; can I dry them out and plant them? David, Cuyahoga Falls | | Hi, David in Ohio: As gardeners we all look for plants that give us something unique to admire. The night blooming jasmine, also known as jessamine or Cestrum nocturnum, is a wonderfully fragrant plant that exudes a sweet aroma as soon as the sun goes down. It is native to tropical America and the West Indies so this makes it a tropical for those of us not gardening in zones 8-11. Although we cannot enjoy the sweet fragrance all year long we can propagate our plants by saving the seeds or taking stem cuttings before the first frost. For maximum viability we want to make sure they have had sufficient time to dry on the plant before we harvest and collect them. If the seeds have not had time to mature on the plant before they are harvested they will not be worth planting. You mentioned that your seeds were still white and this is an indication that they are not completely dried. You can try drying them in a warm, well-ventilated space where they will not be in contact with any moisture or direct sunlight. You may not have a huge success rate but it is certainly worth the try. Depending on the temperature and humidity that the seeds are subject to it may take them a couple of weeks for them to completely dry. Hopefully they have not molded and if they have then it is not worth the effort of trying to dry them. You might want to purchase a packet of seeds just in case yours do not germinate; that way you will not have to wonder if you are going to be able to enjoy this jasmine next growing season or not. Gardening is not an exact science and sometimes experimenting is well worth the effort and sometimes we learn from our mistakes. |
Tropical plants | | I have a Somona Euphorbia X lomi or "Forever Flower." I have never cut it back in winter before and it is looking very leggy. It blooms wonderfully and I don't want to hurt it. Cindy, Waterloo | | Hi, Cindy in Ilinois: Somona Euphorbia X lomi ‘Sonoma’ is a native of Madagascar that is grown as a houseplant in your zone. It is hardy to zone 10 but will not tolerate the winter temperatures in your area. Of course, it would be happy to live outside during the warmer months, just make sure it does not receive too much water if you have heavy downpours of rain for extended periods of time. As far as pruning this succulent, it is not a fast grower so it should not require pruning every year. It sounds like your plant is happy but maybe just a bit leggy. To rejuvenate your plant you will want to wait until the spring to do any major pruning. When spring arrives use a clean, sharp pair of pruners and cut the stems back to a desired height. As a general rule you do not want to remove more than one-third of the height of the plant. As Euphorbias do, your plant will produce a milky sap when pruned; this is perfectly normal and should not be wiped off. If the base of the plant is over-crowded you might consider removing some of the stems to improve air circulation. Continue watering and fertilizing as normal. Give your plant as much direct light as possible and make sue it is planted in a good quality container mix made specifically for cacti/succulents. It is always a good idea to check periodically and make sure the drainage hole is not clogged when dealing with succulents. For now cut back on your watering as well as your fertilizing and wait for spring.
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Vegetables | | A while back I read about some places that grow the "old fashioned" seed for tomatoes and other vegetables, etc. Would you have their Web sites or e-mail addresses? Troy, Louisville | | Hello, Troy in Kentucky: There is nothing more satisfying than planting a seed, watching it grow, and enjoying the food it produces. It is a gratifying experience and your taste buds will thank you. As far as reputable companies that offer heirloom seeds there are a few to choose from. I am not sure which company you were reading about but here are a few options: Renee’s Garden Seeds is located in California and they offer a large variety of organic heirloom seeds; their Web site is www.reneesgarden.com and their phone number is (888) 880-7228. Baker Creek Seeds is another great source for non-treated, heirloom seeds. Their Web site is rareseeds.com/about
and they can be reached at (417) 924-8917. Seed Savers Exchange is a nonprofit member organization where you can purchase heirloom seeds. Their Web site is www.seedsavers.org
and you can reach them by phone to request a catalog at (563) 382-5990. I am certain that there are other great seed sources out there but these are a few that I know from experience are reputable places to purchase from. There are so many wonderful choices, so have fun deciding what to grow and think spring! |
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