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Questions and Answers:Q. Recently I purchased several 6-packs of annuals in full bloom and after only a few weeks they look spent. Do I have to start all over again? A. Many folks make the mistake of buying cheap annuals in full bloom early in the season for quick color. The plants are usually treated with chemicals to stay small and bloom early so they will look good and not outgrow the 6-pack. Also, nurseries may withhold water to keep them small so they won't outgrow the little container. They are meant to look good on the shelf for impulse buyers. I've seen cool season annuals, such as snapdragons or pansies, sold in full bloom in April and May, which is the wrong time of the year for planting. You can almost count the hours that they will look good in your garden. To avoid a quick decline in color in your garden, find a nursery with a registered Texas and Nursery Landscape Professional available who can show you how to plant a mix of annuals and perennials that will keep the color coming all during the growing season. Annuals, unless they are Texas natives, take a lot of care and usually play out quickly due to heat, pests or disease. Relying on them solely for color is too much work for the average person because you will need to replant several times during our long growing season. Q. I made the mistake of planting horsetail reed in my flowerbed and it is so invasive I don't know what to do. How do I get rid of it? A. Horsetail Reed is an ancient plant that spreads by rhizomes through the soil in search of water. It grows 3-4 feet tall and is a single bright green stem with ash colored rings. It is very invasive and should never be planted within a mile of a pond or damp area. It is for containers only. For control, you will need to start digging up the rhizomes and spray the remainder with a weed killer used for stumps and heavy brush. Q. How do I use Lemon Grass for cooking? A. If you've planted West Indian or East Indian Lemon grass, you can see that is gets quite large and beautiful. However, the leaves contain silica and they can cut you if you run them through your fingers. The lemon smell makes it all worthwhile because it is one of the best herbs for cooking. You will need to wait until the plant has formed a clump of several stems. Pull a stem away from the clump at the soil level and you will feel a small bulb where the stem was rooted to the main clump. Peel away the layers until you find the small smooth bulb resembling a tiny garlic clove. Discard the rest of the stem and keep the clove. Put the clove on a cutting board and pound with the handle end of a knife or similar tool to release the oils. Slice finely and use in soups or stir-fry. Q. I lost cucumber and squash plants in the recent freezing weather and can't find any more. Can you help? A. You can contact Harris Seeds at www.harrisseeds.com or 800 514 4441. It's not too late to seed cucumbers, squash or okra. Q. Why won't my lavender bloom? A. Lavender blooms and performs best in the alkaline soils west of IH-35. For more acidic soils like we have over here, try the Spanish Lavender. It has a different bloom and is a smaller plant, but it is a reliable bloomer and is very drought tolerant. And yes, it smells wonderful also. Click Here to Ask Me a Gardening Question
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