Wait until fall to move caladiums if possible

Q: I have caladiums I would like to move. Can I do it now or should I wait until spring?

A: Dig large clumps of soil with the growing plants and they should move at this time with little interruption in growth. Even if the plants do decline, they are likely to sprout new shoots from the bulbs which are really tubers. Summer is not the ideal time to move caladiums. The best time to make the move is when the bulbs go dormant, fall through late winter, before spring growth.

Q: I have croton cuttings in water that have started to root. I plan to transplant them into vermiculite. How long before I can repot them in soil? A: Transplanting cutting from water to soil is a bit tricky. Roots forming in water have a hard time adjusting to soil. Moving them first to moist coarse vermiculite would help them develop roots needed to grow in soil. Keep them in the vermiculite four to six weeks and then make the move to soil to grow shrubs for containers or landscapes.

In the future it would be best to start your cuttings in coarse vermiculite. Provide shade and add clear plastic around the containers of cuttings. Keep the cutting moist by misting several times a day. Some gardeners also root cuttings in a loose potting mix and have good success with the easy to root plants.

Q: There is a yellow growth on areas of pine bark mulch in our landscape that forms and then disappears in a few days. Should I be concerned?

A:

Colorful slime molds of yellow, red, pink, brown and gray often form in home landscapes. They are normally harmless to plants using decomposing leaves and mulch as support. Sometimes they do ooze up and over stems and leaves of plants. A common gray one is often seen on grass blades during wet weather. If slime molds remain on plant leaves too long, they may cause the foliage to yellow. As you noted slime molds do decline on their own or you can brush or scrape them off. Periodically disturbing the surface of mulches with a rake can also keep slime molds from forming.

Q: We transplanted a hibiscus into a large container. It thrived and then I noticed the drainage hole was plugged. I unplugged the hole but now the leaves are drooping. What else should I do?

A:

Hopefully by the time you read this response your hibiscus is making a recovery. Usually, when the soil begins to dry a little and is better aerated, the roots make new growth. Flooding of the roots system caused by the plugged drainage hole encourages root rot and thus plant decline. Sometimes it is best to repot affected plants, removing and replacing some of the old saturated soil. Plugged drainage holes in containers are common during the summer when roots make lots of growth. It may be necessary to remove the plants, trim roots and repot in a bit larger container.

Q: A number of amaryllis in containers bloomed a year ago but this year most produced just leaves. What is needed to make them bloom?

A:

Some amaryllis do not rebloom that well locally but since you had previous success let’s make sure we are giving the plants what they need to produce good displays. First, repot any bulbs that are filling their containers. Use a loose potting soil and set each bulb so the neck is sticking above the soil.

Grow the amaryllis bulbs in a sunny to filtered sun location. Keep the soil moist and apply a slow-release fertilizer labeled for use with container plants both now and in late August. During late fall, reduce the waterings to only when the top inch of soil begins to feel dry to the touch. Reducing growth during fall and winter seems to help promote spring blooms.

Q: Due to the cost of transplants I would like to start my own tomato plants from seed but have not been very successful. How should I start the seeds growing?

A:

Now is the time to produce tomato, pepper and eggplant transplants for a late summer garden. Seedlings grow quickly at this time of the year so start them about four weeks before the transplants are needed. Successful seedling production starts with fresh seeds and clean containers.

Fill either saved cell packs or small containers with a potting soil or germination mix available from local garden centers. Add one or two seeds per cell or container and cover lightly. Fresh seed germinates so well, one seed would likely be adequate. Keep the soil moist and in a bright location.

When the first seed starts to grow, move the containers outdoors into the full sun. Then continue to keep the soil moist and start weekly feedings with a general fertilizer solution mixed at half the normal amount. In about two weeks the fertilizer can be mixed at the normal rate and feedings continued until the plants are ready for the garden. Protect seedlings from heavy rains that could wash them from the soil.