|
This month`s gardening problems
Q: Darden asks: We have a very shady yard, planted
with mondo grass in one area but it isn't doing as well, 3 years later, as we'd
hoped. Need advice re: care, feeding and looking for a weedkiller to use that won't
hurt the mondo grass. Same for a big moss patch: need advice on care and feeding and
weedkiller.
A: Without
knowing which country you live in, it is hard to recommend a particular weedkiller. I can
only advise that you look for one that can be used in flower beds as opposed to
weedkillers for lawns which will almost certainly kill the mondo grass. Read instructions
on the containers VERY carefully before you buy..Regarding the poor result you are getting
with your mondo grass, I have found cultivation requirements (below) and your yard sounds
about the right environment. I am assuming that as you have a patch of moss, the area is
damp enough for the mondo grass? Very often plants take several years to become
established, then suddenly shoot away..
Mondo grass, also known as monkey grass (Ophiopogon
japonicus), is an evergreen, sod-forming perennial.
Plants are tufted, grasslike and 8 to 16 inches high. The ½-inch leaves
are dark green and fine to medium in texture. They are erect to arching, smooth and
grasslike. The flowers are usually white or white tinged with lilac. Flowering and
fruiting occur from July through September.
Mondo grass is quite often confused with liriope (Liriope muscari).
However, the leaves of mondo grass are more narrow than those of liriope, the smaller
flowers are hidden by the leaves, the fruits are blue compared to the black fruits of
liriope and mondo grass is less cold hardy.
Mondo grass grows well in ordinary garden soil, requiring minimum
attention once established. Plants thrive in filtered sun to full shade and prefer moist
soil. The foliage is usually light green when plants are grown in filtered sun. Plants
growing in the shade have dark green leaves.
Propagate by dividing large clumps. Be sure to include as many roots as
possible and eight to 10 leaves on each section for planting. The plants are easily
established and require little effort. The plants do not need heavy feeding. Mondo grass
looks attractive year-round. However, the leaves may become ragged by late winter. Shear
back the shaggy old leaves in early spring before new growth starts.
A fungal disease known as anthracnose is the most
common problem. Remove infected leaves and/or apply a recommended fungicide.
Q: Brian Hogan asks: When
should one remove the flower heads from Hydrangeas, and when is it safe to prune them and
by how much?
A: Hydrangeas are a vast subject with many
varieties and different cultivation methods, so I have found you a website that will tell
you all you need to know:
http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/
Hydrangeas are gaining popularity once more and have certainly stood the test of time. I
love the lacecaps and have a lovely blue one of this type that is growing nicely from a
cutting I was given four years ago.. I hope you find the information you need from this
website.
Q: Martin Waller (13) says:
Firstly I must say what an interesting site you have for a "budding" gardener of
13 years old, not quite Laterlife yet. I was wondering if you could help - My younger
brother brought home from school a sunflower plant in a cup which we transferred into a
pot outside. It grew to about 3 feet tall and eventually flowered the head being about
3" across. We have watered it every day so the soil was damp but not wet and checked
for bugs etc. Within a couple of days, the petals wilted and dropped of leaving the head
with immature seeds and healthy looking leaves on the stem. Do you have any ideas why, and
what we should with the plant now, cut the head off or leave it?
A: It is always a pleasure to
hear from younger gardeners and I will endeavour to solve the
sunflower mystery..
I tried growing sunflowers in pots once and they, like yours,
didn`t do so well. Yours sounds quite small for a sunflower. They really need to spread
their roots and I bet if you were to take it out of it`s pot, you would find it`s
roots all cramped up. This will have stunted it`s growth and weakened the flower. Also the
hot sun on the roots won`t help.. But there is still time for it to recover if you
can plant it in a flower bed somewhere, preferably in a sunny spot. Water it well and
give it some plant food...
I bought a miniature sunflower called "Pacino" about
three years ago and have saved the seeds each year since: some for me to sow and some for
the birds to eat.
If you go to the September 2002 edition of my gardening column,
then click on September Spotlight and you will see a picture of the sunflowers. Now click
on that picture to enlarge it... Great aren`t they?
If you live in the UK and have a B & Q
DIY store with a garden centre near you, see if they have any of these "Pacino"
sunflowers in, as I saw some in my local B&Q just last weekend. Perhaps
you could buy one and, like I did, save the seeds.
Q:
Janet Joslin asks: I wonder if you can recommend a
comprehensive A-Z (with colour pictures of the plants) of garden plants?
The one I have of Alan Titchmarsh's is quite an old one and now out of
date.
A: The book I have
put on here is a new one I have just treated myself to and it`s super...
Up to date, comprehensive and beautiful photos of the plants. You cannot
get a more reliable source of information about plants and gardening in
general than the RHS.. Click on the link below and you will be taken to
www.amazon.co.uk where you will be able to purchase the book online
at, possibly a cheaper price than your local shop..RHS
Garden Plants and Flowers: An A-Z Guide to the
Best Plants for Your Garden
Q: From Alison
Fox: I have a large Eucalyptus tree that is shedding it's bark (all
the way up to the very top) Is this normal?
Q: Darryl Goff in Olympia , Washington writes: I just
came across your website and I love it!
I am an
avid rose person. I have about 20 rose bushes. Some of them are growing better than
others. Is there a good fertilizer that you have found works well for them? Also, any
suggestions on how to control aphids and blackspots would be highly appreciated. Next
year, I hope to start a vegetable garden, but we have so many rabbits and deer in the
area. So, I guess I will have to put up a fence. To keep the deer away from the roses, I
have been sprinkling cayanne pepper on the leaves of the roses and it's working wonderful
thus far. Also, if you have any suggestions on how to start an English garden,
that would be great. I would to add flowers to my rose beds. Something that comes back
every year!
A: Thank
you for writing to me. I am so pleased you like the site.. I will do my best to answer
your questions but please bear in mind that anything I use or recommend may not be
available outside the UK where we are situated.. For
example on my roses I use "Toprose" and bonemeal as a fertilizer and
"Bio" greenfly killer to eliminate the aphids. Could
you ask your local garden stockist to recommend the best fertilizers and sprays available
in your part of the world for each specific task..
With Blackspot you must burn all infected leaves at
year end, having sprayed religiously throughout the year with a chemical specifically for
the job.. When buying new rose bushes choose only those that are resistant to black spot.
Did you know the theory with aphids is
now to just let nature take it`s course? Apparently humans have interfered too much
by killing the aphids with sprays and they have become immune to the chemicals.. It
is now thought that the best approach is to let the birds and ladybirds eat the aphids... It
may take a few years to restore the balance.
For your vegetable garden you will indeed need
to fence an area off if you have rabbits and deer in the vicinity, but remember rabbits
dig, so you will have to bury the wire about 18-24 inches deep..
An English garden huh? Now there is
a fine project... First you will need to find a good gardening book with plenty of
illustrations by browsing in your local bookstore or library.. Choose the
plants/shrubs/trees that you want and then check out their cultural requirements, which is
the big issue for you in Washington.
If you are looking for perennials,
you can experiment without losing too much money if a plants fails..Also perennials are
quite forgiving if you have harsh winters as this is their dormant time..
I have looked
for an indication of climate for your part of the world and found this website address
which gave me an idea of your weather conditions which seem to be similar to the UK: http://www.usachamber.com/olympia/profile.asp
Last year I
recommended some gardening websites for gardeners to gather information and ideas.. Have a
look for them on the Previous Editions page of my gardening column: you may get some ideas
for planting.
I hope this
has been of some little use to you Darryl; please get back to me if you are unsure of
anything.
Previous editions of your gardening queries:
Edition 1
Edition 2
Edition 3
Edition 4
Please e-mail me
with your garden problems, comments, or ideas for this section of laterlife.
|
