Take care of your eggplants before we’re talking frost

Q: I have two eggplants that are two feet high with a few flowers. I had some others that were planted earlier and did well.

Can I transplant these now into pots and would that be feasible?

—George, Mystic, Conn.

A: We may have a frost soon in zone 6 and it would kill the plants anyway. You will need a large 10-inch clay pot with sterile soil and a third sand mixed together. Personally, I would take a shot with one left in the ground and cover it when a frost is forecasted. You need heat for eggplant and need to take at least one indoors. Water it thoroughly once and maintain in a sunny southern exposure. It is a gamble either way but worth the effort. I would not put all my eggs in one basket.

Q: My pumpkins did great with a lot of dark green leaves. We used 10-10-10 fertilizer, when we planted them. Some of them were 25 pounds and were numerous. Unfortunately, most were rotted in the center. We used a liquid spray fertilizer through the year. What is the problem?

—Mike, Westerly, R.I.

A: You had too much of a good thing. Either the liquid or granular would have been enough fertilizer. I prefer granular in the spring. 10-10-10 is really potent and should only be used sparingly or on potatoes. Next year use only 5-10-10 and no liquid.

Q: When do I plant canna?

—Ray, Attleboro, Mass.

A: Canna care is similar to dahlia except the canna need more heat.

You can start them in large containers in a heated basement, if you want a head start. Rootstocks require a rich stoneless soil. I would wait until the last week in May to put them out in their beds in zone 6. If you put the rootstocks directly into the beds, you can plant them a week or two earlier. This tropical plant may require heavy watering in drought-like summers.

Mort White is a gardening expert who contributes a weekly column to The Call and The Times. For more White columns, visit themagicgarden.com. For the best solutions for your lawn, tree and shrub problems, call the experts at SeaScape, 800294-5296 or visit seascapeinc.com.

“Growth itself contains the germ of happiness.”

—Pearl S. Buck