Grow a magnolia forest
Q: I have plenty of pods from a magnolia tree that are full of the red seeds. How are they planted to grow new trees?
A:
Grow a magnolia forest by first removing the red covering from the surface of the seeds. Some gardeners soak the seeds in water for a day or two to make removing the outer covering easier. Plant two to three of the seeds in small containers filled with potting soil. Cover the seeds once their thickness with soil and then moisten the seeded container. Place the seeded containers in the refrigerator for 120 days. Keep them slightly moist. At the end of the cold treatment, set the containers in a sunny warm spot to begin growth. Keep the soil in the seeded containers always moist to the touch. Weeks to months may be needed for the seeds to germinate.
Q: I had some landscaping done around a crape myrtle this spring, and ever since, shoots have been growing from the soil. What can I do to stop the growth?
A:
Crape myrtles can reproduce from root cuttings. The spring landscaping most likely severed the roots, essentially forming lots of cuttings that have started new shoot growth. Even injured roots may sprout new shoots. The best control is to prune the new shoots from the plantings as they develop. Also, maintain a mulch layer to discourage below-ground growth. Avoid using herbicides that would damage the crape myrtle if applied to new shoots still connected to the parent plant.
Q: A gardening friend wants to plant a beautyberry. Is this plant too aggressive for a medium-sized yard?
A:
Tell your friend this is a good selection for any landscape growing in sunny to shady locations. Plants can be a bit untidy, but you can help keep them more compact. Beautyberry shrubs grow to about 5 feet high and wide, but you can keep them in bounds with late winter pruning and some periodic grooming. Plantings are known for drought tolerance, light lavender latespring blooms and magenta-colored fruit clusters for fall. Butterflies visit the spring blooms and there are few pests.
Q: Our azaleas are filled with vines that are hard to remove. How do I remove them from the plants without causing harm to the azaleas?
A:
Weedy vines are the scourge of many woody plantings, covering them with unwanted foliage that causes their decline. Regretfully there is no easy control. The sooner you deal with the vines, the better to prevent them from expanding and filling the planting. One not-so-easy but effective control is to dig or pull the vines out by the roots. Some break off and restart again from the in-ground portion making this a continual job. A more effective but time-consuming control is to cut the vine off at the ground line and wait for new growth. When new shoots are noted, treat them with a brush killer found at local garden centers. Follow the label carefully so as not to affect the desired shrubs. Some brush control products also have instructions for treating cut ends of vines to cause their decline.
Q: After I plant geraniums they just shrivel up and die. I want to get a better start next fall; what is needed to have attractive and long-lived plants?
A:
First, wait until the cooler weather to plant geraniums. Around October is the earliest to be adding them to containers or in-ground beds. Ensure you have a pest-free and well-drained potting mix or planting site. Plant with the top of the root ball even with or slightly above the ground line. You can mound soil up to the top of the root ball if needed. Water when the surface of the soil begins to dry to the touch and then thoroughly moisten the ground. Poor drainage and over-watering are two of the most common reasons geraniums die shortly after planting.
Q: I have a magnolia tree that has grown more than 20 feet tall and never flowered. Is there any way to help it produce the blooms?
A:
Magnolias may head the list of trees that take a long time to mature and flower. Often it’s trees grown from seed that appear to need extra time. Some varieties produced from cuttings, including Little Gem and Saint Mary, begin opening
blooms as small trees. There appears to be little you can do to speed the flowering process. Give the tree adequate moisture and feed lightly when young. After a year or two, the tree should be able to exist with seasonal rains and nutrients obtained from nearby lawn and shrub feedings. Keeping the trees on this leaner diet often encourages early maturity and flowering.
Q: Mulch beneath our roses and gardenias has developed clusters of what appear to be small cup-like shells. What is growing in the mulch, and should it be removed?
A:
Gardens are full of curiosities and in this case, your mulch layer is hosting a bird’s nest fungus. This saprophyte obtains moisture and nutrients from the decaying wood, twigs, and other bits of organic matter. The clusters of cup-like structures contain what appear to be eggs but are actually spore capsules. They eventually pop open to release the spores that restart fungal colonies. The bird’s nest fungus is harmless and can usually be ignored. Should it become so thick that water movement into the ground is affected, it can be loosened with a rake to disturb the fungal growth.