Question: Last year you advised me to leave an Easter lily in the ground and not move it. It is growing well and getting so big that I wonder if it doesn’t need dividing. If you advise that, when and how shall I divide it? JF, NJ Answer: It is interesting to learn your Easter […]
Archives for October 2009
Bloomless Daylilies
Question: I only have two plants but plan on getting more daylilies if I can expect them to bloom every year. Why didn’t the two I have bloom this year? MG, NY. Answer: Daylilies are usually sure bloomers. Possible reasons for not flowering would be weak divisions not well established or overcrowded clumps in poor […]
North Window Plants
Question: My living room picture window faces due north and so gets very little sun. What flowers will thrive under such conditions? HG, NY. Answer: African violets should do well in your window and there are enough variations in form and color to make an interesting group. Wax begonias and Impatiens should also flower well […]
Begonia Buds Drop
Question: Buds on my wax begonias drop off before they open. If it is gas fumes, is there anything I can do for them? AC, Mass. Answer: A hot, dry atmosphere will cause buds of wax begonias to drop, but if you have gas in the house I’d say that was the reason as this […]
Pruning Climbing Roses
Question:How and when should climbing roses be pruned? Answer: The method of pruning roses varies with the rambler types and the climber types. Prune the ramblers immediately after flowering, or in the fall if unable to do it earlier, cutting to the ground level all canes that have flowered and leaving only the new canes. […]
Winter Bulbs and Mulch
Question:When should bulbs be planted this fall, as well as established beds of bulbs, be mulched for winter protection? What are some good mulches to use? Answer: Mulches should never be applied to bulbs until the ground has frozen at least an inch. By waiting until this time, mice and other rodents will be prevented […]
Eastern Wildflower Name
Question:What is the name of the wildflower that is seen blooming in late summer and early fall in salt meadows and wet marshes in the eastern part of the country, with crimson-pink daisy flowers about the size of a nickel? Answer: This is the sea pink (Sabatia slellaris), a hardy annual or biennial herb, which […]
Transplanting Evergreens During Winter?
[ad#promo-content-atf-250-left] Question:Can rhododendrons and other broad-leaved evergreens be transplanted during the winter? Answer: Since broad-leaved evergreens need two to three weeks before the ground freezes hard in which to develop hair roots, they should not be moved during the winter months. Unless given this time (longer is better) for proper root development, plants will be […]