Cool brings more hardy azaleas
I have noticed azaleas are making a better display than normal in local landscapes. Does the cold help them bloom better?
We can thank the frosts and freezes that damaged many of our tropical plants for a well timed display of the more hardy azaleas. It appears the cooler winter weather prevents sporadic azalea blooms from opening which means bigger bursts of color during the warm days of late February and March.
When planting crotons, a composted manure product was added to the fill soil, but the crotons died. Could the manure have caused the plants to decline?
It’s not the manure, but you are looking in the right area for this problem. Dry root balls is one of the biggest reason for new plant decline. Most likely the root balls were dry at planting or dried after the crotons were in the ground to cause the decline.
Most ornamentals are grown in a highly organic potting mix, and if it is dry at or anytime after planting, the roots decline. Once it dries and the plants are in the ground, it becomes very hard to wet.
Make sure the root balls are moist at planting by wetting them in their containers. After planting, create a berm of soil at the edge of the root balls to hold and direct water down through the roots and out into surrounding soil. Water by hand daily the first week or two and then every other day until the plants are established.
Weeds are sprouting in our bahia lawn. What is the best way to control the unwanted growths?
Hand pulling might be an option if your lawn only has a few weeds. But who is this lucky? By the time weed control is needed, there are more weeds than most gardeners want to spend pulling. You need a herbicide made for use with the bahia turf following label instructions.
Some lawn weed control products list bahia on the label, while others note their herbicide is for southern lawns. Continue to read the label as some grasses may still be excluded. Do note, not all weeds are controlled by one product. If you have persistent weeds have them identified and obtain a specific herbicide to obtain their control.
Our loquat tree has rings of closely spaced shallow holes around the trunk. Are they harming the tree?
Maybe alarming but not harming is the best way to describe the holes made by yellow-bellied sapsuckers as they migrate through local neighborhoods during the winter months. By spring, the birds are all gone, but the wounds remain, which were once areas to sip sap and feed on insects caught in the ooze.
Wounds produced by the birds are shallow and not frequent enough to cause trees problems. Gardeners may not like the appearance of the punctured trunks, especially when the trees are near patios or entrances. If needed, a burlap or similar wrap could be placed around the trunks of prominent trees during migration time of December through March to discourage the birds.
I have a yesterday, today and tomorrow bush that needs trimming. When is the best time to do the pruning?
Take the pruners to this bush anytime it needs grooming, but most gardeners prefer to do major trimming after the first flowers of spring. At this time, trimming to reduce plant height and width can be performed as the bush is about to take a break to grow new stems and leaves. Throughout the remaining warmer months feel free to cut back out of bound shoots or remove the ends of stems to encourage branching and a fuller plant with more blooms.
Our lawn has a patch of weeds that grows several inches tall and when touched causes a burning sensation. Can you help with this nasty problem?
If the leaves of the plant resemble those of mint and the stems spread out over the soil or turf, you are likely dealing with the burning nettle. The weed can put a quick stop to outdoor fun, but it is controllable. Hairlike portions along the stems contain chemicals that react with the skin to cause the burning sensation. If you do nothing, the weed declines when the hot weather returns. But who wants to wait that long?
Probably it’s best to gain control of this invader by applying a broadleaf weed control product made for your lawn type. Use one of the liquids to spray over the foliage of the burning nettle following label instructions. Usually it’s best to then wait a day or two after treatment before watering the lawn to obtain the best control. If only a few in number, the weed can also be dug out wearing chemical resistant gloves or spot killed with a nonselective herbicide.