In the garden
QWhen I bought my house seven years ago, I had a tree that was only 4 feet tall. I watered it back to life, and it has grown quite large. It has beautiful blooms in the spring and seed pods in late summer/ fall. Could you tell me what it is and how large it will become?
AThe tree in the photo you sent me is commonly called a tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera). The tree is native to Arkansas and can be found in the wild in Cross County on Crowley’s Ridge. It is a statuesque tree with tulip-like flowers hidden within the tree in late spring, and woody capsules in the fall. The tree grows up to 100 feet or more tall at maturity.
QSaw your article recently about tea scale on camellias. Could that also be on Encore azaleas? We have two Encores that have a white scale on many of the branches, especially the ones closest to the ground. There are no flowers on the lower part of the Encores. There are small flowers on the top area, but not very many. There are not many new leaves or growth. Any suggestions?
AThere are many types of scale, and some do affect azaleas. The azalea felt scale is white and can build up enough to cause damage. Systemic insecticides will work on these just as they do on camellias. Although an organic approach such as dormant oil can be effective, it is hard to get thorough coverage on an evergreen shrub. Remember, once the scale insects die, they usually don’t fall off; you will still see them. But increased vigor should be seen on the plants in the spring.
QLast year I asked about trimming crape myrtles, and you sent me a picture of how it should look after trimming. My husband did a great job of following the picture. But we did not get any blooms this year while all of our neighbors, who murdered theirs, have prolific blooms. What did we do wrong?
ANormally, pruning alone does not interfere with blooming, unless you prune late in the growing season — they bloom on new growth. How much sunlight do the plants receive? As you saw, severe pruning (crape murder) doesn’t hurt blooming, but often the blooms are produced on such weak stems that they become weeping crape myrtles instead of upright forms. Proper pruning also should not limit or prevent flowering, but the resulting plants should have the blooms on upright stems. Many crape myrtles bloomed late this year due to the milder season, but eventually they did bloom.
QI have cut back the old flowers of a potted mum. Is it too late to plant it here in Bentonville? If so, what do I do with it? It was a gift that came with a tag reading “hardy garden mum — bronze.”
AMost garden mums — potted and planted — have been frozen back. While chrysanthemums are considered perennials, I usually treat them as annuals, buying new plants each season. If you want to plant yours, do so, watering and mulching after planting. They should survive the winter and begin to grow again in the spring. After that, frequent pruning to keep them from getting leggy is advised until mid-July. Then you can allow them to grow and set flower buds for the next fall. Even though it has been very cold outside, hardy trees, shrubs and perennials still can be planted — if you are hardy enough to brave the cold.
QWould you please tell me where I can buy milkweed (seeds or plants) to plant now for the monarch butterflies? Any information would be appreciated.
AMost nurseries carry the plants in the growing season. They may have some plants available now. You are a bit late for seeds, especially as cold as it has gotten. Normally we plant wildflower seeds in mid-October.