Spring-flowering bulbs fare better when planted outdoors
Question: I received a basket of spring flowering bulbs last January for my husband's passing. After blooming I kept them in the basement. Can I nurse them back into bloom inside or would it be best to plant the bulbs outside? They are intact in the basket they came in and have not been watered.
Answer: I’m sorry for your loss. It is definitely worth trying to get these bulbs to bloom again. You will have the best chance of success planting the bulbs outdoors. Spring flowering bulbs like daffodils, hyacinths and tulips need 15 weeks of 35 to 45 degrees to initiate flowering.
Plant the bulbs in a sunny, welldrained location outside. You can plant the bulbs outdoors until the ground freezes. Some gardeners even break through the frosty layer to get bulbs in the ground for their winter chill. The bulbs may produce only leaves the first spring, but leave them in place and the leaves intact. After creating and storing energy the first spring, the bulbs are more likely to bloom the following year.
Q:We lost a three-flowered maple to verticillium wilt this summer. The landscaper is removing it and replacing it next spring. How do we clean up to prevent the problem with the new tree?
A: Unfortunately, the fungus that causes the disease lives in the soil and survives our winters.
If only a branch or two suddenly wilts from the disease, pruning out dead branches and proper care can help keep symptoms in check indefinitely. Be sure to disinfect tools between cuts.
Trees that suddenly wilt and die must be removed, and dead or infected trees should be replaced with a verticillium-wilt-resistant plant. Crabapples, hawthorns, birch, ginkgo, honeylocust, Carpinus and Katsura are a few of the resistant trees suited to Wisconsin’s climate.
Q: I fell in love with the smell of the PeeGee hydrangea. Where can I purchase the plant, and can I grow it in a pot?
A: PeeGee hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata “Grandiflora”) was a very popular landscape plant. Newer cultivars like Limelight, Strawberry Sundae and Bobo have replaced PeeGee as the panicle hydrangea for the landscape.
The newer cultivars were selected for improved flowering, growth habit or size. I would take a whiff of the flowers of other varieties before investing.
Call nurseries in your area or check online to find out if anyone is still selling the PeeGee cultivar. You can grow the Zone 3 hardy panicle hydrangeas in a pot. Use a container suited to our winter conditions. Water the soil whenever it is thawed and dry. Regular pruning will keep the plant to a manageable size for the container and improve flowering.
Q: I have tried overwintering rosemary for the last few years. It always seems to die in February or March. Please help.
A: I had the same problem until I found the best place in my home to grow rosemary overwinter. Bright light and proper watering are the key to success.
I grew mine under artificial lights in my cool basement. It was next to the laundry room, so I would remember to water. Try growing your plant in a cool, brightly lit location and water thoroughly as soon as the soil starts to dry. Allowing it to go too dry or keeping it too wet will result in death.
Pour off any excess soil that collects in the saucer or elevate the pot on pebbles above this water.
Email questions to Melinda Myers through melindaymyers.com, or write her at P.O. Box 798, Mukwonago, WI 53149.