|  Mary Mary, quite contrary,
How does
your garden grow?
With
silver bells and cockle
shells,
And
pretty maids all in a
row....
If only
gardening were as simple as that little nursery rhyme. But it isn`t, so we are putting
some of the solutions here to problems you have written to us about, so everyone can have
the benefit.
Please e-mail me with your garden
problems, comments, or ideas for this section of laterlife.
Click here for previous
editions of Gardener`s Diary. This month`s gardening problems -
December 2003
Q: From Susan in the UK: I
bought Verbena bonariensis and Bergamot 'Monarda Cambridge Scarlet' for my
garden for the summer just gone and I'm not sure whether anything needs to
be done to them in preparation for the winter. I can't find anything on
the internet, so I was wondering if you might be able to help. Please could
you tell me if these plants need to be pruned, dead-headed or cut back
before the winter.
A: First of all, save
seeds of the Verbena Bonariensis to grow more plants next year, if you
wish, then cut the plants down to within about one foot from the
ground. If the area is very cold, you could mulch with compost, but they
will probably survive without any protection. I was surprised to see new
shoots growing from seemingly dead stems this spring, in my garden.. The
Monarda should be cut right down to the ground either now or in the
spring. I find they are better if lifted and split every two years, as
they tend to get congested. You have two of my favourite flowers.
Q: Fred from Leicester
asks:  I
cannot find anywhere I can obtain manure or mushroom compost in
sensible (bulk) amounts. It all seems to come in silly little bags at
silly huge prices!
A: I
get my mushroom compost locally from a
mushroom farm, but there should be one nearer you. I`m afraid it always
comes in those little bags because that is how it is grown, for
convenience I assume.. If you need quite a bit of compost, they will
deliver and you should be able to barter with the price..
Q: Lorraine
in Australia asks: I
have just discovered your site, and am so happy that I have. I am
an ex Pom and of course, it has taken a few years to become used to
gardening in Oz, where everything has to be fertilised, fertilised and
fertilised again!!! However, I read with interest, the Q and A
regarding the yukka in
New Zealand
. I have what I thought was
a Yukka, however since purchasing the plant some 6 years ago, I was
informed it is called a Happy plant.
Now, is this the same
plant for starters?
This plant has always been
indoors in a pot, and has thrived and has been my pride and joy. A
beaut dark green with shiny leaves, just glowing with health. I
fertilise mainly with a slow release fertiliser and every six months or
so, give it a handful of Garden Mix with trace elements. As I say,
it has loved this judging by the look of it. However, over the
past couple of months, it has started to look decidedly sad, instead of
the new shoots bursting through in abundance, there are just a couple
and I wouldn't like to hold my breath that these will "take".
The present leaves have started to go yellow and droopy. It just
generally looks very sad, and certainly not a Happy plant. It has
always been in the same position in the dining area, so it is out of the
line of fire of the air con. As I said, it has been a source of
great joy, now it is a great concern. Can you please help?
A: Your plant is
called a Happy Plant (Dracaene Fragrans 'Massangeana')
which in fact is not a yukka at all! I have found you a website below.
which is an Australian one, so cultural techniques should match
conditions there.. Reading through it, I believe your plant may have
been over fertilised. If you still have no joy and it`s a case of `kill
or cure`, you could re-pot the plant, making sure to shake off all the
old compost, then chop it down a bit so it is not so stressed and
finally repot it into a larger pot.. http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/1997/archives/27
/in_the_garden/indoor_and_potted_plants/indoor_plants
* Lorraine has reported some success already
with her Happy Plant and we`re working on a cure for her small Mandarin
trees which seem to be suffering in the heat!
Q: From Mr Fisher: Could
you tell me the best time of year to move my Cordyline? It`s too close to
the house now and we want to move it..
A: Although Cordylines are very
tough, they are semi-tropical and with winter approaching, I would be
inclined to leave the move until the ground warms up in the Spring. The
ground is beginning to get very cold now and we are likely to get strong
winds, frost and possibly even snow, which would not encourage your
cordyline to settle into it`s new position. I am assuming of
course that you live in the UK..
Q: Tami in the USA
asks: We
bought a new home recently and one of our side (against the house)
landscaping areas is in very bad shape. I pulled all the junk out of there
including lambs ears which were overtaking right into the lawn. The real
problem is that a tree or overly large weed has apparently seeded all over
the place in this area. There are hundreds of “tiny trees” that I
can’t pull up with my hands. I could trim them as low as I can go, but
if I put mulch on it now, I’m afraid they will still grow in the spring.
I am definitely going to have this tree/weed thing removed this fall so it
doesn’t happen again. Besides, it’s very unattractive. Do you have any
advice for me? Should these little roots be removed, or could I simply
trim them low, use weed kill and mulch?
A: This reminds me
of an area of my garden when we moved in.. It had been left wild and was
solid with thistles that grew from runners under the ground and popped
up everywhere, time after time! I used the hoe to cut them off
at ground level, making it a priority to get all of them before they
grew too big. They soon lost the thrill of the chase and were gone within
two seasons. If a plant or weed has no light source it will soon die.
Q: Mary says: I have a small
lawn which I would like to turn into a graveled area. Do I have to take
up the lawn first, or can I simply lay a weed suppressing membrane over
the lawn and then top it with gravel?
A: It would make a better job of
it, it you were to take up the lawn first..
If you just lay the weed suppressing membrane over the grass, then top
it all with gravel, you may find after a couple of years that it has
become lumpy and uneven.. The grass doesn`t rot down that quickly.
If you do decide not to remove the lawn it would perhaps be an
idea to kill it with Roundup first.
Previous editions of your gardening queries:
Edition 1
Edition 2
Edition 3
Edition 4
Edition 5
Edition 6
Edition
7
Please e-mail me
with your garden problems, comments, or ideas for this section of laterlife.
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