In the garden
QWe planted a large tree this spring. We were advised to water copiously all season. How much water and how often should we water this fall and winter?
I am still watering the weeks that we don’t get rainfall and am prepared to do so all winter if necessary.
AOnce the weather gets cooler, the amount of water your tree needs will slow down, due to less evaporation and slower growth. We typically get ample rainfall in the fall and early winter, and this year we seem to be in a monsoon season. Last year we were bone dry all fall and early winter, so watering was needed. Normally I advise watering once every three to four weeks in the winter if natural rainfall doesn’t occur.
QI always thought mums were annuals and pulled them after it got cold. A friend told me they would come back every year, so I left them in the ground. This year they grew about 4 feet tall. Last year when I bought them, they were short and full of blooms. This year they have grown so much that they are falling over under the weight of the blooms, and there is very little foliage toward the base of the plant. Needless to say they are not as attractive as they were last year. What did I do wrong? I would like to keep them for another
year but I want them to look good. What should I be doing to prevent them from getting so tall next year?
AChrysanthemums, or mums for short, are perennials, but many gardeners treat them as annuals. If you are growing them as a perennial, dig and divide them in the spring. To keep them compact, they need to be pinched back to a height of 4 to 6 inches from the time they begin growth in the spring until mid-July. This will keep them compact
and bushy. As the days get shorter at the end of summer, they will begin initiating flower buds and slow down on top growth. This should give you blooms on short, compact plants. Left unpruned, they grow tall and top heavy.
QMy spring bulbs didn’t bloom very well last spring, and I think it is because they are too crowded. Can I dig and divide them now so that they will bloom for me next spring?
AUnfortunately, division now will not alter your flowers. Spring bulbs set their buds after
they finish blooming in the spring. Once they die back in the late spring, the flowers (or lack thereof) are already in place for the next year’s show. Digging and dividing now would not improve this coming year’s crop of blooms, and it might be a little tricky to find the bulbs since you don’t have any foliage to help determine where the bulbs are. You might accidentally damage the bulbs in digging them blind. I would suggest waiting until the foliage appears this winter before you dig, divide and replant, or you can do so immediately after they bloom (or should
have bloomed) next spring. Whether you divide before or after bloom, it won’t add to however many flowers were set this spring, but given more room to grow and ample sunlight this spring, you should get good blooms the following spring.
QThis spring I planted what I think is called a “hummingbird vine” — pointed, lacylike foliage with little red trumpet-like blossoms. It has done very well on the trellis this summer. Is there any chance it will survive the winter and come back? If so, what can I do for it this fall/winter? When it goes dormant, should I cut it back or leave the tops for added winter protection?
AThe hummingbird vine you describe is an annual member of the morning glory family. It is also commonly called Cypress vine because of its delicate foliage. Ipomea quamoclit is the Latin name. Although it is an annual vine, it often reseeds itself, sometimes too well. Some gardeners find it a bit invasive, but I like the vine. Hopefully yours will selfseed and you will find it growing again next spring after the soil warms up.