Use bigger containers to allow plants develop larger roots

Q: The plants in my patio containers are getting plenty of water and the soil is staying moist, but the plants wilt every afternoon. They perk up each evening and morning, but I am sure this is not good for them. What can I do to prevent this?

A: Some days are so hot and the patio area in such direct sun that plants have a hard time keeping enough water in the leaves. A plant’s leaf evaporates water to help cool the leaf and to move water and nutrients throughout the plant. If the water is leaving the plant faster than it can be resupplied, the plant will wilt. Even though the plant recovers on its own each night, it may still have some tissue that dies. The leaf may develop brown edges or whole leaves may fall off the plant.

Next year, use larger containers or use fewer plants in each container to allow the plants to develop larger root systems within the pot. Hopefully, the larger root system will be able to keep up with the demand for water.

Using water-retaining crystals in the soil will help the soil hold more water, but if the plant can’t remove enough water, it won’t help.

Spraying the patio surface with a small amount of water will cool the whole patio and the lower temperature may be enough to prevent the plants from wilting. This is how many greenhouses are cooled.

Q: I purchased an Endless Summer hydrangea this year and have been rewarded with beautiful blue blooms. In order to keep the plant blooming, do I need to cut the blooms off as they fade? I have cut some to bring into the house, as they are so beautiful.

A: Hydrangea macrophylla Bailmer, trademarked as Endless Summer, blooms on new growth as well as old stems. Unlike most Hydrangea macrophylla varieties, which bloom exclusively on old woody stems grown the previous year, Endless Summer also blooms on the new growth of the current year. If winter freezing or pruning has damaged or removed the old wood, there will still be blooms on this year’s new shoots. As you do some pruning to take flowers indoors, some more new growth may occur that could bloom if there is enough time left for it to grow to full size. There is no guarantee that the late season new growth will bloom.

Cutting off old blooms on many plants is a good idea. It helps the plant save some energy that will be put into new blooms rather than seeds that you don’t want. It also helps keep the plant looking neater and prettier. Some hydrangeas have flower clusters that turn red or pink as they dry on the plant or in a vase. If you like the effect, you can leave the flowers on the plant until fall or winter when you can prune them off to make the plant look neater.

Endless Summer blooms blue on acid soil and pink on high pH soils. It grows to about four feet tall and does best in bright shade. It is hardy in zones four through nine.

Q:

I was talking to a neighbor the other day about getting his garden ready, and he mentioned sharpening his shovels. I have never sharpened a shovel, but he made it seem like they should be practically razor sharp. Isn’t the soil just going to dull it as soon as he uses it?

A: I know gardeners who sharpen their shovels each time they use them. You are right that soil, roots and rocks dull shovels quickly when digging. Many shovels are used more as a scoop that doing actual cutting of soil and they don’t need to be sharpened. For shovels or spades that will be cutting through soil and roots, it can help to sharpen them. They don’t have to be razor sharp or even as sharp as an axe, but a little angle to the edge is better than a flat, blunt edge.

If you are doing a lot of digging, especially where you have to cut through a lot of roots, a sharp shovel blade makes the work easier and safer. They are safer because you don’t have to try to overpower them through a root. You have less control of the tool when you have to slam it or jump on it to get it to work.

Sharpen the edge with about a 45-degree angle. If you use a grinding wheel, be sure to wear safety glasses.

Apply a thin coat of oil or WD40 after each use to keep the edge from rusting.

Speaking of shovel safety, never use the shovel as a pry bar. The long handle can give good leverage, but be careful that the shovel doesn’t give way or the handle breaks. Fiberglass handles can be stronger than wood, but they can splinter if used as a pry bar. There are metalhandled shovels that are very sturdy for digging and prying, but they are very heavy and can tire you out quickly.