Hello Anne,
I have an avocado tree in my front yard. There are three other different trees planted around it. This tree is already very big. It is about 10 feet tall or maybe a bit taller. My tree doesn't give any fruit but it has in previous years. I have no idea what is wrong with it and if there is something I can do for it to give fruit. Can you help?
Anne's response:
I would think there is a problem with pollination of the plant. Either pollinating insects are not visiting when the plant is in bloom or the plant has depended on a neighborhood plant for cross pollination and that plant is no longer there. Keeping the use of insecticides to a minimum is important during the blooming season of plants.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Using a pH Meter
Hi Anne,
I have a problem. A year or so ago, I purchased a PH test meter, on line. I have misplaced the instruction sheet, and wonder if you might be familiar with its' operation. It is a battery free meter, with a wire attached to it and a "probe", which apparently inserts into the ground. I recall the ground should be wet, but, after that I am lost. Can you give me any help? If so, thanks in advance.
Sincerely,
Gil in Mass
Anne's response:
The only pH meter I know of that fits your description just cautions that the probe be cleaned prior to use and that the soil is moist. Insert the probe into the ground. Leave for at least three minutes for an accurate reading. Then remove the probe and clean it.
I have a problem. A year or so ago, I purchased a PH test meter, on line. I have misplaced the instruction sheet, and wonder if you might be familiar with its' operation. It is a battery free meter, with a wire attached to it and a "probe", which apparently inserts into the ground. I recall the ground should be wet, but, after that I am lost. Can you give me any help? If so, thanks in advance.
Sincerely,
Gil in Mass
Anne's response:
The only pH meter I know of that fits your description just cautions that the probe be cleaned prior to use and that the soil is moist. Insert the probe into the ground. Leave for at least three minutes for an accurate reading. Then remove the probe and clean it.
Dog Damage to Shrubs
Anne,
Our dog Mulligan urinated this winter on our shubs. It has killed several branches on three shrubs but not the entire shrub leaving holes in 3 of the shrubs. Should I prune off the remaining affected areas? Are those affected shrubs best to be taken out and replace them? with pruning, will any of the affected area come back? Please help.
Jim
Highland Mills NY
Anne's response:
Sometimes plants will recover from visits from the family dog. Pruning the affected areas does help. If the “indiscretion” is noticed quickly enough you can sprinkle gypsum on the affected plant and on the ground around it. Farmers use gypsum to treat areas that receive an overdoes of nitrogen fertilizers and I used it with success for the visits my female dog made to the side lawn.
Our dog Mulligan urinated this winter on our shubs. It has killed several branches on three shrubs but not the entire shrub leaving holes in 3 of the shrubs. Should I prune off the remaining affected areas? Are those affected shrubs best to be taken out and replace them? with pruning, will any of the affected area come back? Please help.
Jim
Highland Mills NY
Anne's response:
Sometimes plants will recover from visits from the family dog. Pruning the affected areas does help. If the “indiscretion” is noticed quickly enough you can sprinkle gypsum on the affected plant and on the ground around it. Farmers use gypsum to treat areas that receive an overdoes of nitrogen fertilizers and I used it with success for the visits my female dog made to the side lawn.
"Whippoorwill Bush"
Hey!
A friend would like a bush that she remembers growing in her mother's yard.(Faith, NC) She says it was called a "whippoorwill bush". I've researched extensively and cannot find anything having this name. She says it had woody stems with Easter blooming sweet smelling pink clusters. Maybe this is the "southern" name given to this plant? Please help me in this search!
Thanks,
Amanda
Anne's response:
There is a possibility that the plant is Weigela florida. It is a fragrant pink flowering shrub that blooms in early April and is a plant that has been a pass-along plant in the south for many years. The only plants in any of my references that are called whippoorwill plants are some native ground orchids.
A friend would like a bush that she remembers growing in her mother's yard.(Faith, NC) She says it was called a "whippoorwill bush". I've researched extensively and cannot find anything having this name. She says it had woody stems with Easter blooming sweet smelling pink clusters. Maybe this is the "southern" name given to this plant? Please help me in this search!
Thanks,
Amanda
Anne's response:
There is a possibility that the plant is Weigela florida. It is a fragrant pink flowering shrub that blooms in early April and is a plant that has been a pass-along plant in the south for many years. The only plants in any of my references that are called whippoorwill plants are some native ground orchids.
Bougainvillea in N.C.
I'm asking about bougainvillea. I'm pretty sure that I spelled it wrong but I know I got close enough to understand. I lived in LA for ten years and I just loved this plant/flower, Can I find it here to make a hanging basket?
Marva
Anne's response:
Bougainvillea is usually available in the Raleigh area in late April or early May. It does well in a hanging basket and can be overwintered in a warm sunny area in the house or garage.
Marva
Anne's response:
Bougainvillea is usually available in the Raleigh area in late April or early May. It does well in a hanging basket and can be overwintered in a warm sunny area in the house or garage.
Brown Foliage on Wax Myrtles
Anne:
A landscaper transplanted 6 large (6-8 feet) wax myrtles to help screen off the view of a neighbor's house. The plants were b&b, with root balls so large they needed a small cat to lift them into the holes. They've been in the ground about 10 days, and virtually all the foliage has turned brown. The stems are still supple, however. When can I expect new growth? I have been giving them plenty of water (every couple of days) and the soil they were put in is well-drained woodsy loam. On a more negative note, how long do I give them before telling the landscaper they've expired?
Thanks,
Jeff
Anne's response:
They may have too much water! Once a week is adequate for newly transplanted shrubs. Wax myrtles will be putting on new growth for the next two or three weeks. Look at the base of the leaves on the plants and see if there is any sign of new growth emerging. I would also call the landscaper who installed them for his advice – and that also puts him on notice that there is a problem.
A landscaper transplanted 6 large (6-8 feet) wax myrtles to help screen off the view of a neighbor's house. The plants were b&b, with root balls so large they needed a small cat to lift them into the holes. They've been in the ground about 10 days, and virtually all the foliage has turned brown. The stems are still supple, however. When can I expect new growth? I have been giving them plenty of water (every couple of days) and the soil they were put in is well-drained woodsy loam. On a more negative note, how long do I give them before telling the landscaper they've expired?
Thanks,
Jeff
Anne's response:
They may have too much water! Once a week is adequate for newly transplanted shrubs. Wax myrtles will be putting on new growth for the next two or three weeks. Look at the base of the leaves on the plants and see if there is any sign of new growth emerging. I would also call the landscaper who installed them for his advice – and that also puts him on notice that there is a problem.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Planting Near Property Line
We were advised by a landscaper to plant a row of alternating Cleveland Pear and Yoshino Cherry trees along our property line with a neighboring house. Can you please advise us as to how far from the property line these should be planted and how far apart they should be.
Our research shows these trees have about a 20-30 ft spread, so my husband is thinking the trees ought to be about 30 feet apart. Is that correct, or can we put them closer?
Also, our property line is about 5 ft from the neighbors driveway. How are the roots on these? We do not want to plant them or anything close enough to cause the neighbor’s driveway to buckle or crack.
Thank you,
Berni
Anne's Response:
Berni,
You need to plant the trees 30 feet apart. To protect the neighbors’ driveway they need to be at least 20 feet from your property line. The roots of the plant extend 30 feet or more from the base of the tree but the roots can be controlled by root pruning near the driveway before they become a problem.
Our research shows these trees have about a 20-30 ft spread, so my husband is thinking the trees ought to be about 30 feet apart. Is that correct, or can we put them closer?
Also, our property line is about 5 ft from the neighbors driveway. How are the roots on these? We do not want to plant them or anything close enough to cause the neighbor’s driveway to buckle or crack.
Thank you,
Berni
Anne's Response:
Berni,
You need to plant the trees 30 feet apart. To protect the neighbors’ driveway they need to be at least 20 feet from your property line. The roots of the plant extend 30 feet or more from the base of the tree but the roots can be controlled by root pruning near the driveway before they become a problem.
Planting tomatoes
Hi Ms. Clapp,
My sister and I saw your piece this morning regarding planting tomatos. We were wondering which is better, to grow tomatoes in a container with a stake to help keep them straight or to use an upside down tomato grower.
Thank you,
Debbie
Anne's response:
Debbie,
I tried the upside down tomato planters with mixed results. They do work for small patio tomatoes and plants that don’t get very tall. The taller tomato plants try to grow up to the sun and when they set fruit the stem breaks from the weight. I think for most purposes the stake and cage technique works best.
My sister and I saw your piece this morning regarding planting tomatos. We were wondering which is better, to grow tomatoes in a container with a stake to help keep them straight or to use an upside down tomato grower.
Thank you,
Debbie
Anne's response:
Debbie,
I tried the upside down tomato planters with mixed results. They do work for small patio tomatoes and plants that don’t get very tall. The taller tomato plants try to grow up to the sun and when they set fruit the stem breaks from the weight. I think for most purposes the stake and cage technique works best.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Pear tree propagation
Dear Ms. Clapp:
I have been trying to propagate a very old d'anjou pear tree by means of cuttings with no success whatever.
I've taken about a dozen cuttings, dipped them in rootone and planted them in a !:1 mix of perlite and potting soil.
The pots were then covered with glass enclosures and kept fairly warm from below.
Nothing took. Something is wrong but what? the cuttings(size, location on tree)?, time of year?, potting mix?
Perhaps the method. Should I use some other technique? If so, what, and how?
Being a rank amateur I would like very much to stick to the simple technoique of cuttings, rather than more advanced approaches such as grafting, which is a complete mystery to me; however, if that's what it takes then perhaps you could give me a start.
Apologies for the length of this note.
Many thanks,
Roland
Anne's Response:
The most successful way to propagate an Anjou pear is by grafting. Some experts recommend grafting the cutting to a seedling quince that is about the diameter of a pencil in early spring. I graft camellias but not pears so I recommend you find a good book with illustrations. It is not that hard to do but it is difficult to describe without illustrations.
For rooted cuttings of the plant try taking the cuttings from new wood in late May or early June. Take the cutting from a branch tip. Use a moistened potting medium of half vermiculite and half perlite. Dip the cut end of the cutting ( no more than 6 inches) in a rooting hormone. Poke a hole in the rooting “soil” and insert the cutting to a 1-inch depth. Firm the soil. The best luck comes when you can mist the plants for 6 weeks – but you can try putting the cuttings in a chamber (I have used a Styrofoam cooler covered with clear plastic.) to maintain a high humidity.Roland
I have been trying to propagate a very old d'anjou pear tree by means of cuttings with no success whatever.
I've taken about a dozen cuttings, dipped them in rootone and planted them in a !:1 mix of perlite and potting soil.
The pots were then covered with glass enclosures and kept fairly warm from below.
Nothing took. Something is wrong but what? the cuttings(size, location on tree)?, time of year?, potting mix?
Perhaps the method. Should I use some other technique? If so, what, and how?
Being a rank amateur I would like very much to stick to the simple technoique of cuttings, rather than more advanced approaches such as grafting, which is a complete mystery to me; however, if that's what it takes then perhaps you could give me a start.
Apologies for the length of this note.
Many thanks,
Roland
Anne's Response:
The most successful way to propagate an Anjou pear is by grafting. Some experts recommend grafting the cutting to a seedling quince that is about the diameter of a pencil in early spring. I graft camellias but not pears so I recommend you find a good book with illustrations. It is not that hard to do but it is difficult to describe without illustrations.
For rooted cuttings of the plant try taking the cuttings from new wood in late May or early June. Take the cutting from a branch tip. Use a moistened potting medium of half vermiculite and half perlite. Dip the cut end of the cutting ( no more than 6 inches) in a rooting hormone. Poke a hole in the rooting “soil” and insert the cutting to a 1-inch depth. Firm the soil. The best luck comes when you can mist the plants for 6 weeks – but you can try putting the cuttings in a chamber (I have used a Styrofoam cooler covered with clear plastic.) to maintain a high humidity.Roland
Powdery mildew
Hi Anne,
I believe I have a powdery mildew problem. It seems to be getting worse too, even though we've been in a drought. It will show up every summer on my zinnias, crepe myrtles and boxwoods. We try to avoid chemical use in our yard, but will do so if it means saving our plants. What do you recommend?
Thanks,
May
Anne's Response:
I didn’t think boxwoods had a problem with powdery mildew. Plants will develop the disease when we have a cloudy, moist night and when there is not good air circulation around plants. So pruning to keep plants from being crowded together helps. Organic gardeners have found that spraying with lime-sulur just before the crapemyrtle leafs out in the spring will help control the disease. For the zinnia try using a wettable sulfur powder when the disease first appears.
I believe I have a powdery mildew problem. It seems to be getting worse too, even though we've been in a drought. It will show up every summer on my zinnias, crepe myrtles and boxwoods. We try to avoid chemical use in our yard, but will do so if it means saving our plants. What do you recommend?
Thanks,
May
Anne's Response:
I didn’t think boxwoods had a problem with powdery mildew. Plants will develop the disease when we have a cloudy, moist night and when there is not good air circulation around plants. So pruning to keep plants from being crowded together helps. Organic gardeners have found that spraying with lime-sulur just before the crapemyrtle leafs out in the spring will help control the disease. For the zinnia try using a wettable sulfur powder when the disease first appears.
Drought Resistant Flowers
Hi Anne,
Spring is here and flowers are beginning to bloom. I am itching to plant flowers around my Pine trees in the front yard. My front yard gets full morning sun. What kind of drought resistant flowers can I plant that will give me some color for the spring and summer? I usually plant petunias but they dried up due to drought.
-Walter C.
Anne's Response:
You could try some salvia, coreopsis or cosmos. Iris and daylilies are also drought tolerant.
Spring is here and flowers are beginning to bloom. I am itching to plant flowers around my Pine trees in the front yard. My front yard gets full morning sun. What kind of drought resistant flowers can I plant that will give me some color for the spring and summer? I usually plant petunias but they dried up due to drought.
-Walter C.
Anne's Response:
You could try some salvia, coreopsis or cosmos. Iris and daylilies are also drought tolerant.
Cherry Tree Pollinator
I've recently purchased a Rainier Cherry Tree which I hope will someday produce some of it's delicious fruit for me. I know it needs a pollinator and a Bing is recommended, but my yard space is small. I was wondering if my neighbors flowering Japanese cherry trees (Yoshino I think) would work as a pollinator if I planted my new tree within 100 feet of them. Any information would be appreciated.
Charles R.
Anne's response:
Charles,
Your problem of needing a pollinator for a tree in a small space is shared by many. The flowering cherry trees will not work. One technique is to graft a piece of the Bing cherry onto the Ranier Cherry. You may have to find a local nurseryman who would be willing to do that for you. Some gardeners have luck growing the pollinator in a pot. You keep it small, let it flower in the spring and keep it close to the Ranier cherry during the time they are in bloom. You can keep Bing pruned back to a small size and hide it out of sight when his pollen is not needed.
Charles R.
Anne's response:
Charles,
Your problem of needing a pollinator for a tree in a small space is shared by many. The flowering cherry trees will not work. One technique is to graft a piece of the Bing cherry onto the Ranier Cherry. You may have to find a local nurseryman who would be willing to do that for you. Some gardeners have luck growing the pollinator in a pot. You keep it small, let it flower in the spring and keep it close to the Ranier cherry during the time they are in bloom. You can keep Bing pruned back to a small size and hide it out of sight when his pollen is not needed.
Burning Bush
Anne,
I have a question concerning our Burning bushes that we have in Tennessee. Can you cut off 6" limbs and directly transplant or is there a special way to make roots grow from a cut limb? We bought our first Burning Bush six years ago and our only dwarf bush was only 6" in height and had a root composite from which looked like a cut limb.
Keith
Anne's response:
Keith,
Many burning bushes in the wild are actually grown from seed. Collect the seed in the winter and plant it in an outside area where it will get cold and freeze. They usually sprout in late spring. I think the plant you have was a seedling that someone cut off at ground level. It sprouted a new top the following year. You can also “layer” a burning bush. Just pull a stem down to the ground, scrape the bark on the bottom of the limb. Push it into the dirt and put a rock or brick on top to keep it moist and in good soil contact. By fall the plant is usually ready to cut away from the mother plant. Many people consider Burning Bush Euonymous an invasive plant and encourage people to destroy the plants – not continue to grow them.
I have a question concerning our Burning bushes that we have in Tennessee. Can you cut off 6" limbs and directly transplant or is there a special way to make roots grow from a cut limb? We bought our first Burning Bush six years ago and our only dwarf bush was only 6" in height and had a root composite from which looked like a cut limb.
Keith
Anne's response:
Keith,
Many burning bushes in the wild are actually grown from seed. Collect the seed in the winter and plant it in an outside area where it will get cold and freeze. They usually sprout in late spring. I think the plant you have was a seedling that someone cut off at ground level. It sprouted a new top the following year. You can also “layer” a burning bush. Just pull a stem down to the ground, scrape the bark on the bottom of the limb. Push it into the dirt and put a rock or brick on top to keep it moist and in good soil contact. By fall the plant is usually ready to cut away from the mother plant. Many people consider Burning Bush Euonymous an invasive plant and encourage people to destroy the plants – not continue to grow them.
Cutting Back Azalea
I have several HUGE azeala bushes beside my house that block two windows. When can they be cut back and how far back can they be cut?
Anne's response:
The azalea bushes that are now huge and block the windows can be “whacked back”. They get pruned as soon as they finish blooming and there are two approaches you could take. One is to cut he plants back to a manageable size then prune them to shape making sure you leave space in the middle of the plant for good air movement and some future growth. Remember to make all your final pruning cuts to a point on the stem that is just above a leaf scar where future growth can occur. The more drastic technique is to cut the plants back to less than a foot tall and let them produce new growth from the base of the plant. My large Formosa azaleas get that treatment about every 15 years to keep them in bounds. It takes about a year for them to recover but mine will have a few blooms the next year.
Anne's response:
The azalea bushes that are now huge and block the windows can be “whacked back”. They get pruned as soon as they finish blooming and there are two approaches you could take. One is to cut he plants back to a manageable size then prune them to shape making sure you leave space in the middle of the plant for good air movement and some future growth. Remember to make all your final pruning cuts to a point on the stem that is just above a leaf scar where future growth can occur. The more drastic technique is to cut the plants back to less than a foot tall and let them produce new growth from the base of the plant. My large Formosa azaleas get that treatment about every 15 years to keep them in bounds. It takes about a year for them to recover but mine will have a few blooms the next year.
Bamboo in North Carolina?
Hello Ann,
Do you know of any area around NC that has fields of bamboo? I'd like to harvest some this year. Love that stuff.
Ma
Anne's response
Ma,
I know lots of people who are trying to get rid of bamboo that is growing over from their neighbor’s yard but I don’t know of anyone who has a “cut-your-own” bamboo field. Someone in your county agricultural extension office might know of someone who is trying to get rid of bamboo and would let you cut it. They are usually getting calls at this time of year for information on spraying or killing bamboo.
Do you know of any area around NC that has fields of bamboo? I'd like to harvest some this year. Love that stuff.
Ma
Anne's response
Ma,
I know lots of people who are trying to get rid of bamboo that is growing over from their neighbor’s yard but I don’t know of anyone who has a “cut-your-own” bamboo field. Someone in your county agricultural extension office might know of someone who is trying to get rid of bamboo and would let you cut it. They are usually getting calls at this time of year for information on spraying or killing bamboo.
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