User Name
Password
 |
|
       |
How to grow Knockout Roses and Herbs How to control Leaf Cutter Ants Pine Trees and Customer Service How to put Tourist Farms on the Map How to control Snakes in the Garden
What are common Shrub Diseases
|
Questions and Answers:Q. Every year I buy Verbenas and they never seem to take off. Am I doing anything wrong? A. Verbenas come in pink, purple, or white and are a lovely addition to the garden. The problem is that they don’t handle transplanting very well. Be sure that the verbena plants you buy are labeled as perennial. It is the perennial type that works better in our area. The annual verbenas don’t grow well for me either, although they can make a beautiful cut flower. Q. My petunias don’t look so great and they were blooming well when I purchased them a few weeks ago. Any advice? A. Petunias do best when planted much earlier, such as January, in our part of Texas. By the time they are available in the nursery trade, in March or April, the little ones in 6-packs or 4-inch pots are too small to really do well. They’ve usually been treated with a hormone that makes them stay small and bloom so they won’t outgrow the pot. If you are going to buy petunias during the spring, buy a large plant or hanging basket and put that in your garden in partial shade. They will grow large, flower profusely, and then go to seed to come up next year. For next year you might try the “Laura Bush” petunia. You will need to get seed and spread in the fall. It is dark pink and lasts longer into the season than your average bedding petunia. You can purchase the hard to find seed at www.wildseedfarms.com. Q. This part of Texas is so full of wildflowers in the spring. Can I get a map of the best places to view wildflowers in Milam, Lee and Burleson Counties? A. Unfortunately, you can’t. However, if any readers would like to let us know of a country road or local highway that has a particularly nice wildflower patch, I will pass it on to the readers and maybe I can put a map together for everyone. Q. I bought marigolds in full bloom recently and they are just sitting there. Is there anything I can do to make them grow? A. Marigolds purchased in full bloom have a hard time growing once transplanted. Buy them in bud or with no bloom for the best performance. Q. I had a beautiful border of dusty miller for several years and now it looks awful. What did I do wrong? A. Dusty Miller is a great border plant. The silver foliage makes a nice contrast with blue or purple flowers. Year one and two are usually great, but you will need to replace after that as they will begin to look ragged. Q. There are new sprouts coming out of my live oak’s roots that grow close to the surface. How do I prevent this from happening? A. You can’t. Not all live oaks do this but if they do, it can be a problem. Sprouts usually form when the root is damaged by lawn equipment. The best way to eliminate them is to continually cut them with a pair of garden shears flush with the roots, and don‘t damage the roots with your lawnmower or weed eater. Never apply an herbicide to the shoots or you may kill the entire tree. Q. A few years ago you wrote in your column about a product in pre-emergent weed killers that would kill our post oaks. Can you refresh my memory? A. The product you are looking for is Atrazine. It is a potent weed killer and is suspected of causing lots of environmental problems, including groundwater contamination. About 76 million pounds of it are used in the United States every year. Thanks for doing your part to control the use of this product. Never use a pre-emergent of any kind under the drip line of your trees. Click Here to Ask Me a Gardening Question
|
Subscribe to our on-line Newsletter by sending us your E-mail address here.
What are the lastest Landscaping Trends How to Plant Fruit and Nut Trees How to care for Holiday Plants How to care for Mother's Day Gifts
|
|
|
| Feature Articles | Feature Articles | Featured Articles |
| Read all my Articles on E-how.com | Read all my Articles on Gardenguides.com | Read all my Articles on Examiner.com |
 |
 |
 |
| Copyright © 2009. The Big Lump Gardener. All rights reserved. |
| Home | Find an Article | Ask a Gardening Question | Privacy Policy | My Favorites | Blog | Contact Us |
