REPOTTING PINEAPPLES FOR WINTER

Q: I am growing potted pineapples that I will carry indoors for winter. They need to be repotted into larger pots. What size container should I use to ensure that the rooting zone is not restricted? Jim Spotts, email

A: I don’t think there is an official recommendation, but I think a 12or 14-inch diameter pot should be large enough for your smaller and larger specimens. Use high-quality potting soil and keep the soil slightly moist by watering into the center of the leaves.

Q: I’ve never put fertilizer on my Bermuda lawn in winter. This year I want to put something down to help control the henbit that comes in hard every year. One company has a 10-0-14 “Winterizer and Weed Preventer.” Should I go with fertilizer and preventer or stick with preventer only? Jeff Cornelius, Chattanooga

A: Apply a weed preventer only. Bermuda roots don’t absorb nutrients in cold soil, so no fertilizer is useful from September through May. Henbit germinates as soil temperatures cool from 70 to 60. Consider changing your weed preventer application date to late September. Read the label of products you’re considering to be sure they control henbit. You can increase control by managing your lawn to have thick, competitive grass.

Additionally, apply a broadleaf weed control in mid-november to kill any weed plants that escape your preemergent.

Q: I want to make my own leaf mold. I plan to mow my leaves and collect them for the winter to break down into leaf mold. But most of my trees are water oaks. I’ve heard that oak leaves release chemicals that make it hard for things to grow. Beth Kozinsky, Clarke County

A: I’ve often read English garden experts extolling the value of “leaf mold.” I understand your concerns, but there are three common myths about tree leaves/needles. Lots of folks believe pine needles acidify the soil. They don’t: Pine trees simply tolerate poor, acid soils better than other trees. You have no doubt heard that walnut trees kill other plants growing in the vicinity. This too is doubtful. Experiments seeking to prove the deleterious effects of walnut leaves have not been definitive and do not represent real-life conditions. Your oak leaves have no bad effect on plants. You can pile them up and let them rot with no worries. The resulting crumbly, black humus is leaf mold. This material is simply compost made from decomposing leaves only; no lawn clippings, no kitchen waste and no other green material are added to the pile.

WALTER REEVES FOR THE AJC After growing outside during summer, the pineapple’s roots need a 12- or 14-inch diameter pot for winter, plus some high-quality soil.