Control wisteria, prevent tomato cracks, roast your weeds

1

Tougher hydrangeas: When I think of hydrangeas, there is always a question mark alongside them. Sometimes they do great; sometimes they perform abysmally. But this is only true of the widely available bigleaf or mophead hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla). The three other hydrangea species are virtually foolproof and bloom in summer, yet they are not regularly available. Smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) grows 10feet tall; the white, giant snowball inflorescences in the case of the Annabelle cultivar are 1foot in diameter. Then there are peegee or panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata), which range in size from 5-20feet, depending on the cultivar, and whose stout, cone-shaped flower panicles may appear in white, pink or mauve. Finally, oak leaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia) have distinctive leaves shaped like what you see on oak trees, and white, 8-inch-long flower panicles. All of these hydrangea types, given a northern to eastern exposure, will thrive without much fuss other than one good weekly soaking.

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Calm the hysteria: Prune wisteria shoots that are out of control and getting tangled up in the body of the plant. Cut these back to 8inches or five leaves from the main stem. Other shoots that can extend the length or height of the vine can be trained or tied to supports. Wisteria does not as a rule need to be fertilized. Never allow suckers to develop.

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Say no to cracks: Tomatoes show cracks following periods of rapid growth, but some varieties are just prone to cracking. Prevent cracking by harvesting fruit before it is completely red. Remember that as long as a tomato is showing some red, it will ripen after being picked. Consistent watering and maintaining a layer of mulch several inches thick will also diminish cracking. Heirlooms and large tomatoes tend to crack the most. Celebrity and Sungold are less prone to cracking than other varieties.

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Consider nerines: Nerine is among the easiest and most rewarding herbaceous perennials, and its bulbs can be planted now. While its bulbs are somewhat pricey, they naturalize or spread throughout the garden quickly enough, so your investment will be a profitable one. You can find 10varieties with flowers in white, pink, salmon or orange at easytogrowbulbs.com.

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The heat is on weeds: If you have a garden area infested with pernicious weeds, now is the time to dispatch them through solarization. After giving the area a good soaking, cover it with clear plastic held in place by bricks or large rocks. After six weeks, remove the plastic and clear away dead weeds. Solarization may also be effective in killing fungus and nematodes, tiny wormlike creatures that can affect yields of tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, beets, cantaloupes, squash, eggplant, okra and other crops. If you suspect a nematode problem, examine roots after harvest is complete; the presence of root growths known as galls would confirm nematode presence.