Grubs likely culprits in lawn attack
“Garden sculpture should mirror its environs. There is nothing wrong with pink flamingoes or plaster gnomes, provided the garden is located in flamingo or gnome country.” — Roger Swain, former host of “The Victory Garden
Q: My Yucca filamentosa is being eaten at the roots by moles. My lawn does not look that great either. Any suggestions? — Kewanee, Ill.
A: Adam's needle, or Spanish Bayonet with a beautiful large white flower, deserves to survive this attack. The root of the problem is grubs in your lawn. You have to rid this environment of the grubs, so that the moles will move on to browner pastures.You can use a grubicide like Merit. BT is an organic bacterium that will take a couple of years to establish. These compounds should be applied in the spring, when the soil temps are 65 and again in the fall, if necessary. In the meantime, you can place sticks of sweet scented gum in the trenches. Wear gloves to prevent detection of human scent. This will gum up their intestines and lead to their demise.
Q: My neighbor has pine trees along my north side. My day lilies now have only half a day of sunlight and moss has taken over the lawn in that area. Should I move the day lilies? — Sue, Beckley, WV
A: If you do not want to suffer remorse, let the situation dictate your alternatives. You could apply sour milk to kill the moss or slow the growth with the lime. The pines will not stop growing and providing too much shade for your day lilies. Move the lilies now while they are not in flower to a sunny location. You could cultivate the bed they are in now. Moss is a good green manure but you will get more blooms in the sun.
Q: Is it really necessary to pull up tulips in the spring or can I just plant around them as the spring progresses. — Larry, Taylorville, Ill.
A: Most tulips are now bred for size and not necessarily for hardiness. I recommend digging them out when they are finished blooming to store them in a cool place for the summer. This gives them energy when replanted in the fall. If you have success with good blooms each year, by all means leave them and plant around them. A good cycle would include annuals for color and mums in the fall for late flowers.
Q: We have four window boxes in full sun for most of the day. We have planted impatiens, petunias and marigolds, but unfortunately nothing lasts more than a couple of weeks. Do you have any suggestions as to what we should plant or what we could do differently? — Jennifer, Narragansett
A: There are two excellent plants for window boxes in the sun that require less water. Geraniums come in pinks, reds and whites. Pelargonium also has ivy type plants and variegated flowers in the Lady Washingtons. P. domesticum are often referred to as show geraniums. They also have serrated leaves. Another good substitute is Million Bells. Calibrachoa comes in a variety of colors including "Hot Pink". Both plants should be planted after May 1. Water every day until plants root in good soil. Put an inch of sand at the bottom of the boxes for drainage. Both plants enjoy heavy feeding once established.