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Subject Search on - All Questions

Chip Tynan's Questions and Answers

Subject	Question
Abelmoschas, seed germination	I have the worst time propagating Abelmoschus plants. Don't know why, but the seeds won't even germinate. Should they be direct seeded in the garden?
Achimenes, cultivation	My husband gave me a pot of flowers called Achimenes. They have been a beautiful fuschia color and are still blooming. Someone said I would have to cut them back this winter to get them to bloom again, but I'm confused. What is the best way to care for them?
Achimenes, cultivation	This summer we grew a hanging basket full of Achimenes. They have been beautiful and are now finished blooming. Someone said I would have to cut them back this winter to get them to bloom again, but I'm confused. What is the best way to care for them?
Acorns, utilizing as food	Are acorns considered an edible nut for humans? If so, where would I find information on how to prepare them for cooking? I have millions of these ball bearing-like nuts in my yard each year and must rake up as many as I can for safety's sake. I often wonder if I'm wasting a chance to bake up some delicacy, rather than disposing of them.
African daisy, browning	I have an African daisy (whose variety I cannot remember, but it has a lovely soft butter creamy yellow bloom) in a pot that I brought in last fall. It is in the final throes of browning off now, and I wonder if you can provide any cultural tips to save it?
African tulip tree, cultivation	I like to try to grow unusual houseplants and recently ordered an African Tulip Tree from a catalog. Can you offer any suggestions on how to care for it?
Aftican violet	My African Violet is at least six years old and has been flowering constantly. I have kept it in the same pot, and it has looked healthy up until a few months ago. As lower leaves wither and new leaves form, the stem is further and further from the dirt. Should I re-pot and move the soil further up the stem? The leaves don't have the strong healthy appearance any more and there is not quite as many flowers.
Agapanthus, cultivation	I was given six agapanthus by a San Diego friend. They grew very well, all flowering. Clearly these need more care. If I plant some of them in the same (south-facing) condominium garden, close to a wall, might they survive? If not, how shall I keep them for next year?
Ajuga, crown rot	What is happening to my burgundy Ajuga? It seemed to be doing fine, but all of a sudden, large areas have wilted, turned brown and died. When I dug a few plants there were hardly any roots.
Ajuga, crown rot, southern blight	Together with our neighbors we planted some ajuga on a strip of land between our properties 2 years ago. It looked great until the last 2 months or so. Some spots started dying off in sections receiving some foot traffic. The spots were small at first but are now getting quite large and unsightly. The foot traffic has stopped for the most part. Do you think it has caused the damage or is there something else that could be causing the plants to continue dying off?
Ajuga, disease	I am having problems again with my Ajuga ground cover. Last year parts of the planting died out. Now this year there is more. Plants seem to rot at the ground and you can just pick the dead leaves right off. Please help?
Akebia	We’ve recently moved into a new home and have been told by the previous owners that we have an Akebia vine. The stems look woody, and some of the remaining leaves are still green. I thought I would just leave it, or should I cut it back? The vines look like they are definitely more than one-year's growth.
Akebia	We have an Akebia (?) vine too--the stems look more woody, and some of the remaining leaves are still green. I thought I would just leave it--or should I cut it? The vines look like they are definitely more than one-year's growth.
Alberta spruce	I have an Alberta Spruce that is also in our front landscaping. On one side of the bush there is what looks like new or different growth. The branches are a much lighter colored green and it is not growing in the same shape as the bush. In other words, the bush is cone shaped, but these branches are not growing in the same upward cone shape. Instead, they are growing in every direction (which gives the bush a funny and unusual look). These branches also seem larger in circumference with longer needles. Can you tell me what is happening and if I need to cut this part out or just let it continue growing in this way?
Allium 'Globemaster'	In the fall of 2002, I planted a dozen Globemaster Allium. They were a highlight of my 2003 garden, and last fall, I planted another dozen. Well, thank goodness I did because only 2 of the ones previously planted came up. I have some Mediterranean Bells (also allium) which have bloomed every year for many years. So do my chives and garlic chives. Are the Globemasters really annuals like tulips? I have lots of squirrils, but they don't really dig that much in the area in which the Globemasters were planted. The Globemasters are expensive and it's a shame to have to replace them every year!
Allium ostrowskianum, Allium oreophilum	Someone recently gave me a bag of Allium ostrowskianum bulbs. The package states "plant in fall before ground freezes. They are already beginning to sprout in the bag and if I save them until fall they will surely die. Any advice for planting them now?
Allspice	About a year ago we were in Bermuda and the tour guide gave us a cutting of "allspice". It looked pretty well dried up by the time I got home, but I slipped it anyway and now have about six vines. How do I get it to bloom or how many years does it take? I'm raising it as a house plant. It had flowers on it when he gave it to us.
Almond trees, cultivation	An acquaintance has told me that this area is good for growing almond trees, and I am interested in attempting to grow them. I have several questions, namely, is the St. Louis are acceptible? Do I need more than one tree? What is their ornamental value? How large do they get? Also, when is the best time to plant, and are they susceptible to disease?
Aloe vera	I have a question to ask about my aloe vera plant. In the past, the ones I always had, when you cut some off it would have a clear liquid inside. There's one I have now that when you cut some off to use it, it comes out as a tan liquid with such a bad smell that I can't use it. Have you ever heard of this? I'm sure there's nothing I can do to correct it. Would greatly appreciate any information.
Aloe vera	I have a question to ask about my aloe vera plant. In the past, the ones I always had, when you cut some off it would have a clear liquid inside. There's one I have now that when you cut some off to use it, it comes out as a tan liquid with such a bad smell that I can't use it. Have you ever heard of this? I'm sure there's nothing I can do to correct it. Would greatly appreciate any information.
Aloe vera, bloom	I have an aloe plant at home that is going to bloom. I have asked around and no one I know has ever seen one flower. Is it possible that you could give me some history and /or information about this topic? We intend to take pictures, because we feel it is a rare commodity. I would like to be able to show it to other people and to talk about it knowledgeably.
Alpine currant, diseases	I have an Alpine Currant bush that had been doing fine, but suddenly the tips of the stems are wilting and all the new leaves have developed spots and are turning yellow. Many leaves have fallen and some of the branches look bare. Please help?
Amaryllis	I received an Amaryllis bulb last Christmas. I had it outdoors all summer and watered and fertilized regularly. I have now brought it in for the winter. My question is how do I get it to bloom again this Christmas? Should I cut off those long green leaves?
Amaryllis	I received an Amaryllis bulb last Christmas. I had it outdoors all summer and watered and fertilized regularly. I have now brought it in for the winter. My question is how do I get it to bloom again this Christmas? Should I cut off those long green leaves?
Amaryllis	My Amaryllis bloomed around Christmas. I left them in the window, waiting for the leaves to yellow to signify ready-for-dormancy. They died back some, but not completely. In Spring I put them out on the patio in semi-shade, and they developed new leaves bigger than ever. They are now about 3 feet tall, and show no signs of being sleepy. How do I get them back on track, and will they ever bloom again?
Amaryllis	I have two Amaryllis bulb that did not bloom. The first I've had for several years. It bloomed each year the first three years and became so crowded that I moved it into a larger pot. It has not bloomed since, even though I water and feed it regularly, let it rest for at least two months in fall and winter, and take care not to remove the leaves until they die. The other bulb I've had just two years. It bloomed profusely the first year, but has not bloomed again. This one is still in its original container, and has received the same care as the other. Please tell me what's wrong?
Amaryllis, cultivation	GENERAL CARE FOR AMARYLLIS (HIPPEASTRUM) BULBS AFTER FLOWERING:
Amaryllis, culture	I have grown Amaryllis in the past with some success. I bought a couple new bulbs this past fall. One has puzzled me. The problem is it won't complete the bloom cycle. In December it put forth two bud stalks. One produced a very nice, but short and small, bloom of three flowers. The other bloom stalk, along with the leaves, rose about one inch and are still at that level. They are green and look healthy but don't progress. Do you think it will finish or should I just throw it out now?
Amaryllis, focing blooms	I have several amaryllis plants. One is about eight years old and from it I have two offsets, one about five years old and one about three years old. The fourth one I bought about three years ago. None of them bloomed this season. I have tried to force them to bloom in past seasons with varying degrees of success. In most cases, they bloomed about two months after my target date of Christmas. I have read in several articles that you are to stop watering the plants several months before you want them to bloom. My problem is that when I do withhold water, it seems to take forever for the leaves to dry so I can let them go dormant. I have withheld water from these plants for a month now and the leaves are just as green as when I started. When should I begin to withhold water to get the plants to bloom around Christmas? Should I just cut off the leaves?
Amaryllis, overwintering	I would like some information on what should be done with amaryllis in the winter?
Amazon lily, cultivation	I recently received an Amazon Lily as a gift. It was in bloom, but the flowers have died now. How do I take care of this plant?
American bittersweet vine	A friend of mine has a supposed matched pair of American bittersweet vines, but he never has fruit, and doesn't ever see flowers. The vines are 5 or more years old, in full sun. They've only gotten about 5 feet tall, which sounds short for bittersweet-I thought they got 30+ feet tall in the wild. Any ideas why they might not flower?
American bittersweet vine, germination	I collected seeds from a native bittersweet vine that was just loaded with the showy berries. I would like to be able to grow my own in my home garden, and need to know what to do to get them to sprout.
American bittersweet, cultivation	I want to start some bittersweet vines from seed taken from a mature vine this past October. I assume that these are the American variety as opposed to the Asian variety because the seeds are bright orange, and had been covered with a yellow husk. I have been told that I would need 3 females and 1 male in order to get berries. Because it affects the number of seedlings that I would need to start, in order to assure this 3 to 1 ratio, I would like to know more about this requirement. Also, is there a simple way to determine the sex of a bittersweet seedling?
American bittersweet, cultivation	I want to start some bittersweet vines from seed taken from a mature vine this past October. I assume that these are the American variety as opposed to the Asian variety because the seeds are bright orange, and had been covered with a yellow husk. I have been told that I would need 3 females and 1 male in order to get berries. Because it affects the number of seedlings that I would need to start, in order to assure this 3 to 1 ratio, I would like to know more about this requirement. Also, is there a simple way to determine the sex of a bittersweet seedling?
American cranberrybush viburnum, pruning	I have an American cranberry that I didn't get a chance to cut back this year. Can you tell me when is the best time to prune, but I want to be able to keep as many berries as possible?
American holly, die back	I'm noticing random die back on my American holly. The damage seems to be concentrated on the top of the plant and the outside branches. The leaves in the interior are green and seem healthy. The injured leaves are buckskin colored and look watersoaked with dark gray spots across the surface. Any clue as to what might be happening? Any remedies?
American holly, dieback	I'm noticing random die back on my American holly. The damage seems to be concentrated on the top of the plant and the outside branches. The leaves in the interior are green and seem healthy. The injured leaves are buckskin colored and look watersoaked with dark gray spots across the surface. Any clue as to what might be happening? Any remedies?
American lotus	Can you help me with information about Lotus plants? I have a small pond that has a liner and a layer of gravel over the liner. I am now making my second attempt at growing lotus. The first attempt was a failure. I dug the lotus out of a natural pond that is covered with lotus and lilies. I kept the roots covered in mud and water and transplanted to my pond in one hour. What can I do to keep them alive? Any information would be appreciated.
American lotus, cultivation	Can you help me with information about Lotus plants? I have a small pond that has a liner and a layer of gravel over the liner. I am now making my second attempt at growing lotus. The first attempt was a failure. I dug the lotus out of a natural pond that is covered with lotus and lilies. I kept the roots covered in mud and water and transplanted to my pond in one hour. What can I do to keep them alive? Any information would be appreciated.
Amur maple, animal damage	I have an Amur Maple and a red maple that the neighborhood buck chose to rub the velvet off his antlers. On one tree, all the bark has been rubbed off 3/4 of the way around, on the other it is only half.
Anemone, insects	A black bug ate ALL of my anemone leaves in just a few days! I applied Rotenone Insect powder thinking that would stop the problem as they were definitely chewing the leaves down to the stem. It didn't work. I now have NO leaves. I think the plants will grow again next summer, but what should I have applied? It looks awful now. Can I just cut the plants (stems) down?
Anemone, planting	I recently bought some St. Brigid Anemone bulbs to plant for spring blooms. They are the knobbiest looking thing I've ever seen. When I'm planting them, how do you tell which end is up?
Angel trumpet, banana trees	I have an Angel Trumpet (Brugmansia?) that a friend started from a cutting. When she gave it to me this spring it was about 1 foot high. It has grown to about 4 feet in just a few months and has bloomed in abundance. It has a problem though with the leaves turning yellow and dying. Does it need acid? What type of soil, watering and fertilizing is best for it? What is best to do with it in the winter? Also I have 4 banana trees, 2 in pots around my pool and 2 in the ground. What type of soil, watering and fertilizing is best for them? I bring them in for the winter and store them in the basement.
Angel wing begonia	What is the best way to overwinter angel wing begonias? For now, I'm keeping them in a southeast facing window that is in a room that stays cool all winter. They have been losing some leaves. Is this normal?
Angel-wing begonia	What is the best way to overwinter angel wing begonias? For now, I'm keeping them in a southeast facing window that is in a room that stays cool all winter. They have been losing some leaves. Is this normal or stress related?
Angel-wing begonia, cultivation	I received a slip of an older Angel wing begonia and rooted it in water. I planted it in soil and it started growing real good. Now it’s dropping green leaves at the joints. I’m afraid I may lose this begonia. The ones I have in my basement all look sad like they can’t wait for summer to arrive so they can get outdoors. Can I start repotting my plants now?
Angel-wing begonia, leaf tip browning	My Angel-wing begonia leaf tips are drying up. Could you please tell me why the leaf tips turn brown and shrivel? It is also ready to bloom.
Anise hyssop	Could you give me a little information on a plant I just bought? It’s called Anise Hyssop, Agastache foeniculum ‘Golden Jubilee’. I need to know where is the best place to locate it will be.
Anise, cultivation	I would like to get information on how to grow Anise seeds. Where can they be obtained, and do you have any suggested readings on this topic?
Anise, cultivation	I would like to get information on how to grow Anise seeds. Where can they be obtained, and do you have any suggested readings on this topic?
Annabelle Hydrangea	I need information on end of season pruning for ‘Annabelles’ hydrangeas. Should the flower caps and stems be pruned off? What about the rest of the plant? Will it be damaged by pruning back? Is there a good reference book I could consult?
Anthurium	I received an Anthurium plant for a gift but have no idea how to care for it as there are no instructions. Can you please help?
Anthurium, cultivation	I received an Anthurium plant for a gift but have no idea how to care for it as there are no instructions. Can you please help?
Anthurium, cultivaton	I received an Anthurium plant for a gift but have no idea how to care for it as there are no instructions. Can you please help?
Ants on peonies	How can I keep ants off of my peonies? I've tried soap and water sprays but with all the rain they are back instantly.
Apple scab	I have had scab fungus on the leaves and fruit of our red and yellow apple trees for several years now. Last year it bore a heavy crop. This year there are no fruit. Is there a possibility that these trees may never bear fruits again?
Apple tree	We have an apple tree in our yard that was already here when we moved in 3+ years ago. Each summer, it starts producing plenty of apples but they never become fully ripe. Each week when we mow we pick up multiple discarded apples. If the same thing happens this year as the past three summers, by the time they would be ripe the tree will be bare. It is a large full branched tree. There is are no visible cob webs on the tree or "worm holes" in the apples. The apples are currently 2 3" tall and green. I'm not keen on using pesticides since children play in the area. I used fertilizer spikes last year but we had the same scenario. Any thoughts?
Apple tree	Recently you wrote of fungus on apple trees. I have had scab on the leaves and fruit of our red and yellow apple trees for several years now. This year there were no blossoms, now no fruit. Is there a possibility that these trees may never bear fruits again?
Apple, insect control	I have an apple tree that has never been sprayed. It is now August and the tree is full of apples. I am afraid the worms will get in them as last year. Is it too late to spray it and, if not, what do I use that would not be poisonous to my family if they eat them?
Arbor, trellis information	I would like to know if you have any designs and instructions to make a sturdy inexpensive rose arbor or trellis for a person with limited or no carpentery skills.
Areca palm	What is causing the tips of the leaves of my areca palm to turn brown? I brought it in several weeks ago, and now this problem has recently shown up.
Areca palm, honeydew	I have a question about an Areca palm plant I have had for approximately five years. The plant has recently started to secrete a tacky substance from the leaves. The secretion is heavy enough to cause the carpet under the plant to become very tacky too. In addition, several of the leaves have turned brown and died. I periodically feed the plant with a popular fetilizer diluted to the appropriate mixture. Otherwise I water when needed. the plant is indoors and is kept in filtered light. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Areca palm, tip browning	What is causing the tips of the leaves of my areca palm to turn brown? I brought it in several weeks ago, and now this problem has recently shown up.
Artillery fungi	HELP! We have a two story wood sided home painted pale yellow. Beginning in the spring we notice hundreds of tiny black spots appearing on the north side of the home's exterior. At first we thought it might be some type of inspect spots. But, considering the large number of spots, we now are wondering if this is some type of plant fungus. The spots are unsightly and difficult to remove. Any thoughts?
Artillery fungi, spore masses	There are tiny black dots stuck to everything in the front of my house brick, windows, sidewalk, porch, cars in the driveway EVERYTHING! Picking them off removes paint. I remember hearing somewhere that these black dots may be plant spores. Can you help me solve this mystery? If you are familiar with this problem, do you have information about how to remove them from surfaces? Also, can you tell me which plants issue such spores and may be responsible? I have in my garden a wide range of shrubs, trees and flowers. I am willing to remove (or move) the culprit. I am hoping you can help me.
Ash tree, ash flower gall	What's happening to my ash tree? There are these dark growths that look like tiny sweet gum balls all over the ends of the branches. There are so many that some of the branches have broken. Please advise?
Ash tree, mushrooms	Is there any connection between Ash trees and mushroom? We have one, and every day now, we find large, brown mushrooms, sometimes enough to fill a 5 gallon bucket. Also, the grass does not grow well there, and there are many surface roots. If any connection, I would cut the tree down.
Ashes	I have a question pertaining to fireplace ashes. Are they useful for plants and, if so, how do I use them? I have read pros and cons regarding their benefit and would like to know what you think.
Ashes	We have a lot of fireplace ashes and I understand they can be used in the garden. Is it safe to spread them under my holly trees?
Ashes, compost	Your recent response to a question on fireplace ashes made me want to ask, can the ashes be used in my compost bin, even though it may not be a good idea to use them in a garden?
Asiatic lilies, Iris, Gladiolas	I have ordered some Asiatic Lilies, English Iris, and Hardy Gladiolas from a mail order catalog without realizing it would take 6 weeks to get them. Can I still plant them in six weeks or should I keep them till next spring? If I keep them, how should I store them? I appreciate any help you can offer.
Asparagas, weed control	My wife and I have a family size plot of asparagus. When harvest is over, unwanted grasses and weeds start to emerge. Since the asparagus is no longer in well-defined rows because of seeding by adult plants, hoeing is difficult. As the summer progresses and the ferns grow to full height the weeds take over. Can anything be done to control the weed problem?
Asparagus	My wife and I have a family size plot of asparagus. When harvest is over, unwanted grasses and weeds start to emerge. Since the asparagus is no longer in well-defined rows because of seeding by adult plants, hoeing is difficult. As the summer progresses and the ferns grow to full height the weeds take over. Can anything be done to control this weed problem?
Asparagus	Could you tell me when is the best time to cut back the ferns on asparagus plants? Also, should dirt be put over them?
Asparagus	Could you tell me when is the best time to cut back the ferns on asparagus plants? Also, should dirt be put over them?
Asparagus fern, cut back	I planted asparagus last spring and they came up real good last year. I didn’t cut any of the spears because I was told this would make the roots stronger, but I didn’t know what to do with all the ferns now that they’ve turned all brown.
Asparagus, broadleaf week killer	Our asparagus patch is approximately ten inches from some volunteer garlic. My husband sprayed the garlic with a squirt of a commonly available broadleaf weed killer. Do you think this will kill the asparagus? Will the material leach into the ground making the asparagus unsafe to eat? If the garlic dies can we replant in the same plot?
Asparagus, fertilization	We planted some asparagus for the first time in the spring of 1994. We would like to know what we should do to it now? The stalks are about two feet tall and have turned brown. We're not sure if we should have put fertilizer on it or what?
Asparagus, soil salting	About 20 years ago we bought a farm that had a very large asparagus plot. The previous owner let the weeds and grass grow and mowed it when he mowed the lawn. I wrote the University of Columbia regarding how to get rid of the weeds and grass. They told me to just cover the entire plot with a layer of rock salt which would kill the unwanted weeds and grass, but not hurt the asparagus as it was part of the seaweed family. It did the job with a minimum of effort and we were then able to control the weeds and have lots of asparagus each spring.
Asparagus, weed control	My wife and I have a family size plot of asparagus. When harvest is over, unwanted grasses and weeds start to emerge. Since the asparagus is no longer in well-defined rows because of seeding by adult plants, hoeing is difficult. As the summer progresses and the ferns grow to full height the weeds take over. Can anything be done to control this weed problem?
Asters	I grew asters for the first time this year. Do I need to cut them down, or just what way should they be handled?
Asters	I grew asters for the first time this year. Do I need to cut them down, or just what way should they be handled?
Astilbe, Bermuda grass	We have bermudagrass that comprises part of our lawn. The previous owners planted some shrubs at the end of the lot, but when I soak the spot and try to weed around the plants most of the grass roots remain. Furthermore, the previous owners poured grey rock over the garden which makes it miserable for me to try to plant anything. Do you have any suggestions to control the bermudagrass? Also, should astilbe or goatsbeard be deadheaded?
Astilbe, Columbine, transplanting	Two years ago I made a mistake and planted astilbe in the sun and then went ahead and planted columbine in the shade. They have bloomed each year but not very well. My question now is when can I transplant?
Astilbe, pruning	Please tell me when should you prune the astilbes?
Australian brush cherry	I received a gift of an Australian brush cherry grown as a bonsai. It's about 9 inches tall and I have looked in several books for information about them, but have not found much. Please advise?
Australian tree fern, cultivation	About 2 years ago I purchased a beautiful specimen of Australian tree fern and although it is surviving it does not have the full, lush look it had when I bought it. I have it in semi-shade, douse the trunk area with water every day and once a week use a liquid fertilizer as I do with all of my house plants. The stalks don't seem to be quite a dense with leaves as it was and are not quite as tall. Is there anything you think I should be doing differently?
Austrian pines	Several years ago I planted a dozen Austrian pine trees in a staggered double row to provide a screen at the rear of my property. Since then I've heard that this was probably a poor choice, particularly because of its susceptibility to diplodia tip blight fungus and pine bark nematodes. Are there any preventative measures that I can take to protect my trees against these problems? Would you suggest anything as drastic as removing the trees and starting over with a more desirable species? At present the trees are doing quite well with regular fertilization with tree spikes and pruning back the candles in late spring. They appear healthy and pest free.
Austrian pines, diplodia tip blight, nematodes	Several years ago I planted a dozen Austrian pine trees in a staggered row to provide a screen at the rear of my property. Since then I've heard that this was probably a poor choice, particularly because of its susceptibility to diplodia tip blight fungus and pine bark nematodes. Are there any preventative measures that I can take to protect my trees against these problems? Would you suggest anything as drastic as removing the trees and starting over with a more desirable species? At present the trees are doing quite well with regular fertilization with tree spikes and pruning back the candles in late spring. They appear healthy and pest free.
Autumn Blaze, maple	I have an Autumn Blaze maple tree which I planted in the spring which has the end leaves on several branches starting to change colors like its fall, is this a problem?
Autumn crocus, replanting	My fall crocus are finished blooming. When can I dig them up to separate the bulbs and when do I replant them?
Azalea plants, pruning	I would like to trim the azalea plants in my yard. I understand that it should be done as soon as the plants finish blooming, which now is about the correct time. How much can I safely cut from each branch?
Azalea propagation	I have an azelea that I would like to start another from. Is this possible and if so how do I do it? I believe it is of the Exbury variety or at least some one told me that. It is a beautiful salmon or coral color and it will lose all the leaves in the winter. It is three years old and is about 24" high. Blossoms are at least 2" across.
Azalea, leaf gall	What is attacking my azalea? It causes these odd, thick growths on the leaves that look like tiny cauliflowers. Some are reddish with what appears to be a dusting of white, and have a rubbery texture.
Azalea, leaf gall, cauliflower leaf	I have a condition on my azalea called “cauliflower leaf”. A thick rubber-like substance forms at the tips of the branches, usually encompassing the leaf. What causes it? What can I do about it? When should I treat it?
Azaleas	I planted an azalea earlier this fall to replace one that died. I chose a new site, prepared the soil well, and sprayed the leaves with an anti-desiccant. I notice that some of the leaves are turning yellow with brown edges. I'm concerned for the plant because when I planted it I took some of the peat moss and compost from the hole where the other plant died. Do you think I could have infected the new plant?
Azaleas	I’m new to growing azaleas and a local nursery sold me some bushes this past year that they assured me were evergreen. Here it is December and they’ve all turned the color of a ripe plum with not a green leaf on them! What gives?
Azaleas, leaf yellowing	We were out of town for several weeks recently and when we returned noticed that many of the leaves on our and our neighbors azalea bushes had turned yellow. Is there sone kind of a problem going around that is effecting azaleas at this time.
Azaleas, pruning	I would like to know when to trim Azalea bushes?
Balsam vines	What can you tell me about balsam and where can I get seeds? It's a vine about 6 feet long and gets a fruit with seeds that look like turtles. A Chinese friend uses the tips for stir fry and a country lady friend uses the seeds for an herbal preparation.
Bamboo	I need information concerning a bamboo plant. Is it advisable to trim roots when transplanting to a larger container? Also, should it be fertilized and how often? What would have caused the water to have an odor after a couple of days?
Bamboo	In what seemed like a stroke of semi-genius at the time, we planted bamboo as a kinder, gentler solution to a fence for privacy concerns. Well, the bamboo's grown well and has proven to be an effective screening device, but as it's been about five years, is there ANY way to control the stuff? It's popping up all over the place - i.e., the neighbor's window well, under the deck, etc. Short of moving - soon - is there anything to be done? Your suggestions/solutions would be appreciated. Napalm? Salt?
Bamboo palm, spider mites	The leaves of my Bamboo palm are dying. They appear to have white spots in the leaves and when I wipe them with a clean cloth I get a red stain. What’s wrong?
Bamboo removal	I'm on the board of a condominium association, and we have a lot of common ground. We have a situation where we removed bamboo that had completely taken over an area. We had a contractor come in and dig out that area and then they treated it with a weed killer. A year later, there are areas where it's coming back. My question is how to proceed from here. What should we treat the trailers with to help control it. If we put poison of some kind down, how long do we have to wait until we can install some replacement plants and have them survive. I appreciate any assistance you can provide, etc.
Bamboo, Ornamental grasses, screening	I was wondering if you could recommend a plant that would grow to six feet in one season and remain a screen throughout the winter. I considered using Cannas which grow to six feet in one year, but they are not winter hardy. I planted some Bamboo, but it is growing and spreading too slowly.
Bamboo, overwinterking	My landscaper was able to obtain a 6-foot tall hardy bamboo specimen that we placed in a large tub and it grew and was beautiful on my patio all summer. My dilemma now is what to do for winter, as the container is so large I’d rather not bring it indoors.
Banana tree	I have a question about my banana trees. I brought them out of storage and planted them in their pots, but they don’t seem to be as vigorous this year. The smaller ones at the bottom of the clump seem to be okay. It is the most mature trunk that seems to be weak. It puts out very pale leaves that don’t come all the way out of the trunk when they open. I have fertilized them with miracle grow several times already and am hoping that will make a difference. What could be the problem?
Banana tree	I have a 16 foot banana tree in my great room. It needs to be potted in a larger pot. Right now it has 13 small banana's on it and looks like it is going to produce more. Could you tell me if it would be ok to repot it now? It is in a much too small pot for the base of the tree. I needed to repot it last year. This is the first time this tree has had fruit.
Banana tree fruit	I have a banana tree that is producing fruit. This was quite a surprise since I store these dormant in my basement for the winter. The flower bud was “stuck” inside the stalk and more or less burst out the side, but it appears weak and is curving downward. Should I let it grow this way? Will it produce normal fruit, or will the bent portions cause problems? I do know that the stalk will die after it bears fruit, but is the fruit edible? I don’t know what type of banana tree this is.
Banana trees, dividing	I have four banana trees. One of my trees is in a pot and has many bananas on it. However, about four or five healthy shoots have emerged that are about 2 feet tall. Can they be transplanted? If so, how do you do it? I am inclined to think that all of the roots are tangled together. I don't want to harm the big banana tree by removing the shoots and I don't want to harm the fruit either. Please tell me how I can transplant those shoots without damaging the shoots, the tree or the bunches of bananas already there.
Banana, overwintering	I have a 2 year old banana, that I set outside this past spring when frost danger was past. My question is can I save the massive main banana plant for next year? And how do you suggest a novice do this? I received these corms or clones from a guy on the intranet where I work and have no information on them. My plumber happened to see them as he walked through the house to fix a leak one day and told me to plant them in the ground and I would be amazed at the growth and I definately was. Now I am not sure what to do with it! It has cloned out 3 little plants this year and I wanted to know what to do with them also?
Barberry	I have a problem with six of my barberry bushes. We were landscaping and transferred them to a different position. I don't know what happened, but they immediately started to die. They were sprayed all over with some hornet spray. Now the leaves are turning brown and falling off and the outer leaves are a bright red, which is abnormal for them. They still have green in the branches, and I'm watering profusely to try to save them. I'm wondering if I trim them back would that be beneficial or should I leave well enough alone?
Bare root plants	I received some perennial plants from a mail-order nursery. They arrived on the morning we were leaving for a short vacation. I unpacked them and left the roots soaking in a bucket of water in the basement. When we arrived home there were long pale shoots and the roots felt soft and mushy. What should I do, or better yet, what should we have done?
Bare root plants, handling	I have question about storage of asparagus roots. I recently bought some property but will not take possession for another month. I had ordered 100 asparagus roots with the intention of planting them at the new site. The roots arrived in the mail, but what do I do with them until they can be planted?
Bare-root plants, handling	I received some perennial plants from a mail-order nursery. They arrived on the morning we were leaving for a short vacation. I unpacked them and left the roots soaking in a bucket of water in the basement. When we arrived home there were long pale shoots and the roots felt soft and mushy. What should I do, or better yet, what should we have done?
Bark mulch, termites	What is your opinion about using any type of bark mulch around the foundation of a house? Do you know if there is a possibility that termites could be drawn to this? I prefer to use bark mulch, and have for years, but someone mentioned this to me and now I am concerned.
Bean seeds, planting	I have a question about beans. I bought some of that inoculant powder and it said to wet the beans first. I am wondering if I should soak them overnight or how long it should be done?
Bearded iris	In June I shall be moving from Columbia to Gainesville, Florida. I have some very special (to me) bearded iris which I would like to take with me. These are originally from Texas and belonged to my mother. I fear that they won't do well in Gainesville (north FLA), but I'd like to try to save them to eventually give to my son who will buy a house in NY state. Confused??? I can try to keep them in a few pots. I think they will have finished blooming by June 14 when we have to leave. It may not be the perfect time to dig them, but I don't have a lot of choice. Please advise. I always rely on your knowledge. I am very sad to leave the proximity to the MO. Botanical Garden as it is my favorite spot in SL.
Bearded Iris, cultivation	I am interested in growing Bearded Iris, as are three of my friends. All of us have been given different information about caring for these plants. We are asking for your advice.
Bear's breeches	Tell me about my Bear's breeches. Aren't they supposed to get fairly large - 3 feet or so? They have a thick stalk, but is it supposed to die down over the winter like a perennial? My first plant died, but I think I planted it in too much shade. My new plant is also in shade, but does receive some sun.
Bear's breeches	Tell me about my Bear's breeches. Aren't they supposed to get fairly large - 3 feet or so? They have a thick stalk, but is it supposed to die down over the winter like a perennial? My first plant died, but I think I planted it in too much shade. My new plant is also in shade, but does receive some sun.
Bear's breeches, cultivation	Tell me about my Bear's breeches. Aren't they supposed to get fairly large - 3 feet or so? They have a thick stalk, but is it supposed to die down over the winter like a perennial? My first plant died, but I think I planted it in too much shade. My new plant is also in shade, but does receive some sun.
Beautyberry	Here's a question about an Asian beautyberry or Callicarpa. I rooted a few cuttings last summer and now they are growing by leaps and bounds, flowering, setting fruit - all the good stuff. The stem habit is "horizontally arching" and here's my question: a new stem has come up strongly and vertically from the base and I'm wondering whether this is a sucker that should be removed, as one would do with a rose bush. The plants are in pots and won't go in the ground until it cools off.
Bee balm	Last year I planted a wild indigo. Nearby I planted two bee balm. The bee balm are spreading quickly. Will they invade the indigo? I dug up part of the new growth close to the indigo and moved it.
Beefsteak plant	I have a plant that I bought at a garage sale. The owner didn’t know its name, but someone said it is a Beefsteak plant. It has red leaves.
Begonia, disease	I have an ornamental begonia that grew outdoors in my garden this summer, and I brought in for the winter. I have it sitting on a sunny windowsill, but recently it has developed white spots all over the leaves. What causes this and is there anything I can do for it?
Begonia, 'Nonstop', overwintering	I bought two nonstop begonias last spring. They have bloomed constantly, and are still in bloom now. I want to know if they can be dug up, potted and kept indoors for the winter? They are so pretty it hurts me to think they will have to be left out and freeze and die.
Begonia, overwintering	What is the best way to overwinter angel wing begonias? For now, I'm keeping them in a southeast facing window that is in a room that stays cool all winter. They have been losing some leaves. Is this normal or stress related?
Begonia, Rex	When Rex begonias go dormant, what care do they need? The Rex begonias I bought in fall have lost their leaves. The cultural tags that came with the plants discuss temperature and moisture, but say nothing about the dormant period. Should they continue to be watered occasionally or be left to dry out? My Angel wing begonia seems to have leaves and flowers all the time. What type of begonia are they?
Begonia, soil	I have a small garden at the corner of my driveway in the sun with Begonia plants. They were thriving when I planted them about a month ago. Now they are dying. The stems fall flat and outward from the bottom, then break off. The leaves are also in poor condition. Actually the whole plant suffers from malaise. The plants started doing this one by one. At first I thought it might be an animal, but I have definitely ruled that out. Prior to planting the begonias, I planted 48 vinca plants, also very healthy when planted. In a matter of weeks the leaves yellowed and the plants looked awful so I took them out. I do not think it is a watering problem. Also the top layer of soil is sometimes hard, as if it was a shell and I could peel the layer off. Last year I had the same problem in the same place with the vincas, although in previous years they flourished. However last year after removing the vincas and replacing them with begonias, I had no problem. If you think there are bugs that are causing the problem, what can I do with the soil so that I can plant something else.
Bell pepper	Something is making a small hole in almost all of my bell peppers and holes in the leaves. I've tried dusting the plants but to no avail. What can I do to stop this?
Ben Franklin tree	I am trying to find some information on a Ben Franklin Tree (Franklinia alatamaha). It grows about 12 feet wide and 20 ft. tall. I am looking for ornamental trees to place in a fairly narrow space at a new commercial building. We are in Poplar Bluff, the building faces southeast. Others I am considering are japanese maple or maybe a well pruned English yew. Do you have any others that come to mind? In my research of plants on the net, I cannot find a good source that explains the different VARIETIES within a species. I am not a commercial landscaper, just the wife of the bank president who likes to garden and ended up with this project. Do you have any information or web site I can visit?
Bent trees	One of the trees in our backyard is young and growing at a 60 degree angle to the ground. It is about 6 feet now. Should we go ahead and correct it and if so how should we correct it?
Bermuda grass	We have bermudagrass that comprises part of our lawn. The previous owners planted some shrubs at the end of the lot, but when I soak the spot and try to weed around the plants most of the grass roots remain. Furthermore, the previous owners poured grey rock over the garden which makes it miserable for me to try to plant anything. Do you have any suggestions to control the bermudagrass? Also, should astilbe or goatsbeard be deadheaded?
Bermuda grass, Poa annua (bluegrass)	My cousin in Alabama has bermuda grass in a lawn that was sodded last summer. Over the past winter and even more prevalent this spring is a bright green grass, in clumps, that he has been told is "boanna grass". How can he get rid of the boanna grass so that the bermuda lawn looks thick and healthy?
Bigleaf hydrangea	I received a blue hydrangea for Mother's day and wish to know if it can be planted outside in the garden?
Bigleaf hydrangea	I received a blue hydrangea for Mother's day and wish to know if it can be planted outside in the garden?
Bigleaf hydrangea	Help! I love ‘Nikko Blue’ hydrangeas, and was wondering if I have any chance whatsoever to grow them in my yard? That yard is a 1 year-old new home site of rocky red clay, but I do have ample planting space in a large berm that gets morning sun and total afternoon shade in the front yard of the home. That berm was created with about 3 feet of topsoil. Any hope?
Bigleaf hydrangea, H. macrophylla, , moisture	I am interested in my Blue Hydrangea bushes, as they are withered and look lifeless. We have fed them and watered them, but the leaves and limbs are dying. Are they supposed to do this? They wilted in the summer due to the hot weather, and as soon as we watered them they came right out of it, but now they are dying. Since I am not familiar with how they are supposed to survive in the fall and winter, I don't know if they are dying for good, or should they be dying back in fall and will they come back out in the spring, or should we just forget about trying to save them? I really need some help with this.
Bigleaf hydrangea, transplanting	I have a 4 year old hydrangea that I would like to move to a shadier spot, but I need to know if now is the right time to do this. I cannot remember the full name but it has butterfly as part of it and it has a blue bloom and grows back each year from dead wood. Can you please give me any information on this? Also, my neighbor who is willing to dig the plant up and replant it is a novice. How do you go about doing this? We aren't sure if the hydrangea needs to be balled in burlap? This plant was a Mother's Day gift so I do not want to kill it.
Birch - pruning	When is the best time to trim lower branches from a birch tree? Some of the branches are dead. Some of the smaller trunks are also dead. With multiple trunks, debris settles at the fork of the trunks and this is moist. Is this harmful to the tree?
Birch tree	We recently purchased a modest home with a charming birch tree planted to shade the west windows of the house. It has two trunks, one slightly larger in circumference. When the leaves began to appear, we realized that the larger portion was dead. There are simply no leaves at any level on the tree, yet the other side is well covered with leaves. We learned it was planted about 16 years ago and were told that birch trees grow quickly, are not long-lived and don't do that well in this climate zone. Our question: Is it feasible to think of having just the dead trunk cut down, leaving the other portion or will the "good" side die as well if that is done? It is such a graceful, charming tree and we don't like to think of having to replace it. A knowledgeable friend has suggested if we do replace it, to consider a Dawn redwood. Is that a good choice for our zone?
Birch tree	I faithfully read your column every week in the Post and need some advice. My wife and I planted 2 large River Birches (or so they were marked) about 4 years ago. They both flourished but this past spring after they both leafed out, one of the tree's leaves wilted and turned brown in mid April right after a late spring frost. We kept hoping the tree would releaf out or send up the many shoots it has sent up from its base every year, but nothing has happened. It appears to be dead. The other tree - which is located 20 feet away on the other side of a sidewalk - was not phased by the frost and is as dense as ever. We would like to replace the dead birch with another one that's as big as possible, but considering the cost of a large tree we are concerned it might die as well. My questions are: 1.Do you have any idea what could have caused our tree to just die? It looked fine last year. I saw no signs of infestations. 2.My suspicion is that the tree that died was not a river birch but a white birch which we know are more prone to disease. I've attached a couple photos. 3.Any suggestions for replacing the tree? I planted both of these and did a lot of prep work (6 foot hole fortified with manure, humus and peat moss). Considering the size tree my wife would like, a nursery will need to plant. By the way, we live in Cape Girardeau.
Bird feeders, handmade	Inexpensive handmade bird feeders
Bird of Paradise	I have a large Bird of Paradise that had several blooms when I received it, but has not bloomed again in several years. It has gotten so large, I wonder if they can be cut apart?
Bird of Paradise, blooming	I inherited a large Bird of Paradise plant several years ago, but it has never bloomed. What do I do to get the thing to flower once in a blue moon? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Bird of Paradise, cultivation	I have grown a bird of paradise from a seed. The plant is now 16 years old and has only bloomed once, right before I re-potted. It got so big it busted out of its 14" pot! I divided into three plants. I have tried all combos of light and moisture - what is the trick to get it to bloom?
Bird of Paradise, division	I have a large Bird of Paradise that had several blooms when I received it, but has not bloomed again in several years. It has gotten so large, I wonder if they can be cut apart?
Bird of Paradise, division	I have a large Bird of Paradise that had several blooms when I received it, but has not bloomed again in several years. It has gotten so large, I wonder if they can be cut apart?
Bird of Paradise, insects	I saw your column recently about the bird of paradise. I have been having an ongoing and very frustrating problem with my bird of paradise. It is infested with white fluffy little insects I can't remember what they are called. I have tried all sorts of sprays to get rid of them but they always seem to come back. I have already lost one large old plant to these horrid little creatures. What should I do?
Bird of Paradise, mealybugs	I saw your column recently about the bird of paradise. I have been having an ongoing and very frustrating problem with my bird of paradise. It is infested with white fluffy little insects I can't remember what they are called. I have tried all sorts of sprays to get rid of them but they always seem to come back. I have already lost one large old plant to these horrid little creatures. What should I do?
Birdhouse gourds	We are growing what is called "birdhouse gourds". Please tell me when and how to harvest them, how to prepare and dry them for this project?
Birds in planters	Is there an easy way to keep birds out of my hanging baskets? Last year they destroyed them all and they are starting again this year.
Black Beauty eggplant, Peppers, harvesting	I'd like to find out when to cut eggplant? How do you know when do they reach their maximum growth? The variety is Black Beauty. We also have green bell peppers and need to know when they are ready to cut?
Black gum tree	Do Black Gum trees all produce fruit or must there be both male and female trees present? What type of soil is best for success? I understand this tree is good for song birds.
Black gum tree, cultivation	Do Black Gum trees all produce fruit or must there be both male and female trees present? What type of soil is best for success? I understand this tree is good for song birds.
Black medic, control	Please write about black medic. My neighbors and I all have this weed growing in our lawns and we need help to get rid of it!
Blackberries	We have twelve raised beds for veggies in back yard. We planted > blackberries in one of them about three years ago. Nothing but a thorny mess. > Options? Train them onto a frame? Roundup? Dig them up? We get little to > no fruit and I fear we didn't take care of them right on the front end.
Blackberry lilies	A dear friend has been watering my plants and seedlings while I've been out of town on business, which is no easy feat as I’ve got nearly three rooms full of plants this winter. I'm pretty certain he overwatered my blackberry lily seedlings, which I grew from saved seed last October. How much water do these things like? They look like they belong in the iris family by their foliage, and one whole tray looks like brown strands of grass. I have it on good authority that he grumbles and yells unpleasantries while he's watering the flats, which I don't think helps their state of mind one bit! Was it a damping off problem?
Blackberry lily, seed germination	I recently collected seeds of wild blackberry lilies from a natural area on my property and was surprised to find them still in the capsule. Is there anything I need to do to make them sprout?
Black-eyed Susan	We would like to know how to grow Black eyed susans from cuttings. Please help.
Black-eyed Susan 'Cherokee Sunset'	My question concerns a recent visit to Shaws Garden where you had some samples on display of flowers that were in bloom. One was a gorgeous Black eyed Susan called Rudbeckia hirta ‘Cherokee Sunset’. Do you know where it will be available to purchase for next summer? Is it hard to grow and is it perennial?
Bleeding heart	Is it too late in the spring to divide bleeding hearts? Mine has become so large I would like to divide it if possible.
Bleeding-heart, Dicentra exima, transplanting	I have an area in my garden that currently has a combination of Bleeding-hearts, Dicentra spectabilis and what I think is Dicentra eximia, as it blooms longer and later in the season and has less interesting flowers. I would like to move them to another area of my garden as that area looks so bare after flowering is over. When is the best time to replant them?
Blood orange tree	I brought my blood orange tree to an east window in my office for the winter. It has about a dozen oranges on it and the information that came with it says they ripen March through June. Should I fertilize it? Any other information on caring for it?
Blue Atlas cedar, Hoopsii spruce	Our much beloved Blue Atlas cedar, after 15 years, could not tolerate the past winter and is slowly dying. We have been told that they do not do well here in St. Louis. Is it too risky to purchase another one or should we look for a more hardy tree. The ‘Hoopsi’ spruce was suggested. Can you tell me the specific needs of the ‘Hoopsi’ and if it will do well near our house. How much room does it need and does it like full sun? Can it be planted in the fall or should we wait until spring? I am concerned about the growth pattern also. We like the upright and airy open growth pattern of the cedar and wonder if the Hoopsi is too dense to create the open look we want. Our landscaping in this area has an Asian feel.
Blue grass rust fungus	Our blue grass lawn is starting to get an orange color to it in sections. What seems to be the cause?
Blue grass, brown patch	We have mainly a bluegrass front lawn. It had been gorgeous this year, then that second hot week in July came along and within days we had large patches of suddenly dead brown grass. We checked for grubs, but found none. I saw no fungus... doesn't that usually lay on top and have a blue cast? I took a thatching rake and couldn't believe what I was getting up. Is thatch choking the lawn? We feed the lawn 4 times a year believing a healthy lawn fights off weeds.
Blue hollies, leaf yellowing	I have China Boy and China Girl hollies growing in a shaded location. Several plants look yellowish and have lost leaves. They are growing next to others that look vigorous and healthy. I have added aluminum sulfate twice this year, in April and September and my landscape service added foliar iron to them this summer. Is there anything else you could suggest to perk up my anemic plants?
Blue lace flower	I received a beautiful bouquet from a florist and one of the plants in it was identified as "Blue Lace". It has blue flowers that somewhat resemble Queen Anne's Lace. Can you tell me what this plant is and whether we can grow it in the St. Louis area?
Blue spruce, bagworms	I have a Blue spruce, 10 feet tall that had bagworms for the first time last year. What should I do to keep them from being a problem again this year?
Blue spruce, needle drop	What should I do for a large Blue spruce that is (seemingly excessively) dropping clumps of needles? It is shedding branches also and they look barren. This is especially on the north side of the tree.
Blueberries, bulbs, overwintering	I planted blueberries in containers on my deck. When the weather changes, what do I do with them? Leave them on the deck and mulch them? I could put them in the garage, as it says somewhat warm because I live in a tonhouse. Since this was the first year, I had no berries, but flowers on one of the plants. Please let me know what would be the best? Q:I also planted oriental lilies in 16-inch containers. They were absolutely gorgeous and smelled wonderful. Now what do I do with them over the winter? Leave them on the deck or put them in the garage, or perhaps dig them up? If so, how do I store them?
Blueberries, pruning	I am trying to find out how to trim my mature blueberry plants. Can you help please?
Bluegrass sod	I was helping a friend put in a new planting bed in front of her new home. We were skimming off the sod and it came up very easily, too easily. She told me the sod, which has been down for a little over 1 year, stays green, but does not grow. She has only cut the grass 1 or 2 times the entire summer. We did see a few grubs, but were not sure what kind they were. She lives in a new subdivision and the neighbors lawns look fine. It is only her sod that is doing this. The soil underneath is typical clay fill a builder would put in. The sod is blue grass. She has watered it regularly and applied fertilizer. It gets full sun. Do you have any ideas as to what could be wrong?
Bluegrass, voles	What is it that causes these tiny "paths" in my bluegrass lawn? They are only about 2 inches wide, but they are throughout much of the lawn.
Bluegrass, voles	What is it that causes these tiny "paths" in my bluegrass lawn? They are only about 2 inches wide, but they are throughout much of the lawn.
Bonsai, spider mites	I was given a Bonsai tree about 3 months ago. All of a sudden on the top, I have discovered something that looks like webs, and very small mites (?) about the size of a pin point. What can I get to get ride of these things?
Boston fern	My Boston fern looks terrible. The fronds turn brown and leaves fall off. Please help! It doesn't look like it will survive the winter.
Boston fern	My Boston fern looks terrible. The fronds turn brown and leaves fall off. Please help! It doesn't look like it will survive the winter.
Boston fern, cultivation	My Boston fern looks terrible. The fronds turn brown and leaves fall off. Please help! It doesn't look like it will survive the winter.
Boston fern, cultivation	I have a large Boston fern that is dropping a lot of leaves. It is sufficiently watered and gets adequate light....usually some sun, but we’ve had too many grey skies. Is this leaf loss normal? It is in a pot I am not crazy about. Plastic, with one of those attached "saucers" that makes it hard to check where the drainage goes. It is possible to see by looking at an odd angle, and I don't think there is water there. I am also wondering how long these ferns can stay in a pot before they need to get transplanted?
Boston fern, overwintering	Every year I "winter" our Boston ferns in a closed off spare bedroom. In the spring I clip them back completely to the pot and they grow back beautifully. My husband wondered why I didn't clip them back before I winter them since they are quite messy. Would that kill them? Do you have any hints on wintering ferns...other than little or no heat, steam, and plenty of water? My husband is threatening to throw them out because they're such a problem.
Boston fern, Rosy maidenhair fern	I received a gift that included two ferns and I would like to know if I can plant them in the ground. One is a compact Boston Fern and the tag for the other said the Rosy Maidenhair Fern.
Boston fern, spores	I have a Boston Fern that I had outside this past summer. It now has rows of felty, brown spots on the backs of the leaves. They were on it when I had it out. I am watering it about every other day. Could you help me with this problem?
Bougainvillaea	We planted a Bougainvillaea plant directly outside our kitchen window. Throughout the spring it vined all over a tubular trellis we placed next to it and then it bloomed profusely all summer and this fall with gorgeous pink flowers. My wife and I commented often about the abundance and beauty of the blooms. Of all our flowers, this is our favorite. We hate to see the plant freeze but next spring we will certainly plant another Bougainvillae in the very same spot. The question arose "Can we save this plant over the winter and replant it outdoors next spring?' That is our question to you, can we save it over the winter in our basement and then plant it outdoors next spring like we do many of our other plants that will normally freeze in the St. Louis winter? If this is possible or might be possible, are there any tips we should know like cutting it back or storing it near a window. What kind of temperature should it be stored in? We look forward to your reply to tfleer@juno.com. You know, some years back I stayed during the week at the Sims Motel in Waynesboro, Tennessee for a period of 3 years and they had a Bougainvillae plant in the motel lobby. My recollection is that their plant grew to about 7 feel tall and was covered with green leaves but I can not remember it ever blooming. How surprised I was when our plant outside the kitchen window, although it has quite a few leaves, is 50% covered with pink blooms. Maybe there was something different about the plant in the Sims Motel.
Bougainvillea, overwintering	Please tell me how to take care of my bougainvillea. It had just started flowering when I brought it inside the house. Now the leaves and blooms are falling off. What kind of soil and watering does it need?
Boxelder bugs	How do you effectively get rid of Box Elder Bugs? We have a Goldenrain tree in the backyard and have been plagued with these pesky, prolific bugs for the last two years.
Boxwood leaf miner	My boxwood has these little blister-like bubbles on the leaves. Each of the bubbles has a hole in it like something was inside. Now the leaves are starting to curl up and appear dry. What causes this and how can it be controlled?
Boxwood, Euonymous	What do I need to feed my boxwood and my evergreen Euonymous? The leaves have recently turned beige on just one side.
Boxwood, leaf blisters, leaf miner	My boxwood has these little blister-like bubbles on the leaves. Each of the bubbles has a hole in it like something was inside. Now the leaves are starting to curl up and appear dry. What causes this and how can it be controlled?
Bradford pear	I saw your article in today's Post Dispatch concerning trees and am hoping you will be able to help me. We have a Bradford Pear approximately 12 years old. It recently split from the strong winds. One main branch fell tearing all the way down the trunk to the ground. My husband doesn't think it will survive or if it does will never look right. It looks as though half of the tree is gone. Someone told me they heard of the tree being able to fill out in a couple of years. Can we save it? Especially since so much of the trunk is exposed? Anything you could suggest would be appreciated.
Bradford pear	What is the cause of one of our Bradford pear trees leaves to begin to change colors and to thin out? Our other tree is still green and full.
Bradford pear alternatives	We have a terrace in our back yard and six years ago we planted a Bradford pear, a purple plum and another Bradford pear. When we got those winds a couple of weeks ago one of the Bradford pears blew over even with the ground leaving the roots still in the ground. My husband doesn't want to plant another Bradford pear so I wonder if you could tell me what we could plant that would look right and still be a strong tree?
Bradford pear tree, breakage, treatment	A recent storm broke off an 8 inch branch from my Bradford pear tree. The trunk of the tree is about 15 inches in diameter. It split off at the trunk. There are questions in regards to sealing the break. A nurseryman told me not to seal it, let it heal by itself. My father told me to make sure I seal it up. What are your thoughts on sealing a tree after a break or even a cut? The break also put a small hole in the trunk. Is there something to "plug" up this hole so no more damage will be done? Please let me know your thoughts on this issue.
Bradford pear, clumping	I have a Bradford pear that was cut down to ground level. Will the new growth around the stump ever grow into something attractive, like a clump Bradford pear tree?
Bradford pear, damage	The storm on 12 Aug 99, blew down a section of our bradford pear tree. We think the tree is about 25 30 years old. The trunk had a circumfrence of about 38 in, and a diameter of about 10 inches. The storm damage caused about 1/3 of the crown (the crown was about 12 13 paces across and probably about 12 feet tall or taller) of the tree to come down and at the point where the branches normally split off from the trunk, it split the trunk down 23" (leaving about 13 inches before the trunk reaches the ground that "appear OK" however when you look closer there's about a 4 inch slit further down each side where the trunk looks like it's whole again). the split in the trunk is 7 inches wide at the base of the split and 10 inches wide at the top of the split. It goes into the tree about 4 1/2 inches and you can see about 1/3 of the heart of the tree in the opening that's exposed. We need to know if it's possible to save the part of the tree that's remaining, or if we should go on and take it down so it doesn't blow down later against the house. IF it's possible to save the tree, what do we need to do? We're pretty sure there's something that should be painted on the exposed part of the trunk in order to protect it from insects and disease, but we aren't sure what. What else needs to be done? It was a beautiful tree before the accident, and as far as we could tell was in good health. We had been watering it with the sprinkler about an hour or longer a couple of times a week during the dry period and it didn't have any brown leaves on it or other signs of distress from the heat and the weather. The branches that came down were all green wood and many had buds formed on them.
Bradford pear, flowering	We have a 3+ year-old Bradford Pear which we selected specifically for its lovely spring flowers. Unfortunately, while the tree is a beautiful specimen and is healthy in every other respect, it has never flowered. The tree gets good sunlight and everything around it, including azaleas and iris, do very nicely. Why no flowers? Is there anything we can do?
Bradford pear, stress	My parents have a six-year old Bradford pear that hardly flowered at all last spring. Now this year it has leafed out again without blooming. Many of their neighbors have trees that were beautiful this spring. It's planted in their front lawn by the street and they fertilize the lawn every fall, so I know it is well-fed. What can they do to make it bloom?
Breadseed poppy, Papaver somniferum 'Oase'	I had a plant in my previous garden that came up every year. At the time, I knew little to nothing about plants. As near as I can tell now, that plant was Papaver somniferum ‘Oase’, and I’ve located a new supply of these seeds in a garden catalog. If I sow them this spring, will they continue yearly by self seeding, or must I plant a fresh batch every year?
Bridalwreath spiraea	Could you educate me as to when I can prune my large bridal wreath spirea shrubs? I had thought it would develop a cascading habit but no luck so far. I only have very large, very overgrown yard monsters. The flowers were amazing this spring and I don't want to do anything to prevent that from happening again.
Brodiaea	I recently bought some packaged Brodiaea bulbs on sale at a discount store. I want to know if they are winter hardy in this area. The instructions that came with them don’t tell me one way or the other.
Brodiaea, hardiness	I recently bought some packaged Brodiaea bulbs on sale at a discount store. I want to know if they are winter hardy in this area. The instructions that came with them don’t tell me one way or the other.
Bromeliad, cultivation	I received a small bromeliad from a friend who had a large plant that produced several new shoots. She said to always keep water in the cup, but empty it and add fresh water once a week. What else do I need to know to get my plant to bloom?
Broomcorn, broom making	I have planted broomcorn and have been unable to find information on how to care for it if you want to make a broom. Please help?
Brooms, Cytisus	While on a recent trip to England, I saw a lovely shrub called Broom or Cytisus. This was a small shrub that comes in various colors. Will it grow here? If so, where would I find it for purchase? I asked in England and was told that it was not readily available.
Brussels sprouts, cultivation	I've grown Brussels sprouts for two years now. They only get about as big as marbles and that's as big as they get all year long. I must be doing something wrong.
Brussels sprouts, cultivation	I wish you would write about Brussels sprouts. I've grown them for two years now. They only get about as big as marbles and that's as big as they get all year long. I must be doing something wrong.
Buckeye tree seed germination	We have a mature buckeye tree in our yard and we are wanting to start another one. I know it takes awhile to get them to grow. What we don't know is do we open the shell and plant the buckeye or do we plant the shell with the buckeye in it? I was able to save two shelled buckeyes before our squirrels got them. I don't mind them getting them, but I do want to start another tree. Is this going to be possible, since I have such a green thumb? Also the one buckeye shell I was able to get had 4 buckeyes growing in it. This has got to be a sign of good luck right?
Buddleia	Have you ever seen anything resembling fire blight on buddelia? Most of mine are fine, but 3 old soldiers along the brick garage look like they have albino fire blight. Southern exposure. All I can find is a possible nitrogen deficiency, which makes no sense. A little white fuzz that looks like a mold, but just on the Shephard's Crook parts. No smell, difficult to rub off. Leaves thick, a little bumpy, some curl. "Whatever" is distributed evenly over the new growth affecting about 60% of all 3 bushes. Other buddelia of the same cultivar, planted in the open, have shown no signs of this. This area is underplanted with English Ivy, and is flanked by a perennial bed (daisys, cardinal flowers, perennial verbena and a crabapple tree) to the east. To the west is a deciduous azelea also underplanted with ivy. None of this is affected. Care last year was intensive - though there was nothing I could do about the heat. Odd. I raided all the bathrooms for Lysol spray, and went ahead and trimmed those puppies back. Did that on Saturday, and have seen nothing else on them, yet. Perhaps this is what got to a lovely old snowball that was on its way out last summer. We're waiting to see what happens this spring. The symptoms are similar, but not exact.
Buddleia	I have a Butterfly bush which has some puckered leaves. Is this a problem, and what should I do?
Buddleia, lilac	I have a couple of buddleia that bud very well but then the bud turns rubbery or petrified looking. I have not cut one of them back to he ground for a couple of years now because I wanted it big. The same thing seems to be happening to a lilac not to far away. And an old wild rose has galls on it and has died. Mostly I'm worried about my buddleia Are any of these related or is my green thumb going haywire?
Buddleia, transplanting	Could you please tell me if it is possible to transplant a Butterfly bush either in the fall or in the spring? As I recall, the directions said to cut it back to about 10 inches in the spring. It has been in the ground for about 4 years, planted next to a hydrangea that is now so large that it is blocking the Butterfly bush. If it is possible to transplant it, how should it be done and what do you do to fertilize it?
Bulbs	Last night we noticed that some of our tulips are coming up already. A few are just barely out of the ground and a few more are about 2" up. Is there anything we can do to stop or slow their growth? It looks like the taller ones tips might be damaged.
Bulbs	Landscapers at our business are digging up thousands of bulbs and making them available to staff members. We want to know how to care for and replant these free bulbs!
Bulbs, culture	Given the above normal temperatures we have had the past two springs, could you suggest any narcissus and tulip varieties whose blossoms tolerate those 70-80 degree days in early spring.
Bulbs, forcing	I put two amaryllis bulbs and about 6 paperwhite bulbs in the refrigerator about 6 weeks ago because I wasn’t ready to pot them and force inside. Is there anything I should know before I take them out?
Bulbs, planting	What can happen to my tulip bulbs if I plant them too shallowly? The instructions said 8 inches deep, but I only put them 4 or 5 inches deep.
Bulbs, planting	What can happen to my tulip and hyacinth bulbs if I plant them too shallowly? The instructions said 8 inches deep, but I only put them 4 or 5 inches deep.
Bulbs, transplant	I have a few hundred daffodil plants in our backyard along a low wall. They have done very well. A few new plants have migrated away from the original location. When can I dig these up? After the green fronds have turned yellow? Should I then wash the dirt off, let them dry and replant come fall? I’m unsure of when to dig and how to store the bulbs.
Bulbs, transplanting	I am growing many bulbs in outdoor containers. We will be moving this summer and I want to save these bulbs and replant down at my new home. What is the best way to do this?
Bur Oak, leaf gall	I'm experiencing something odd with a large Bur oak in my back yard. For several days there has been a "rain" of what appears to be tiny mustard seeds coming from the tree. In some places they actually cover the ground, and some of the leaves have brown spots. What's going on? This is one of the strangest things I've ever seen.
Burning bush	I have what I believe is called a red burning bush - it seems to grow very wild. Last year it did not turn red like it normally does. When and how should I prune it or should I be pruning it at all? It is in direct sun light.
Burning bush	When is the best time to trim back a burning bush and how should I go about it? Last summer it started to extend over a walkway but I was afraid to do anything because on one side it started to turn yellow and drop the leaves. I'm hoping that this was due to the dry and hot summer last year.
Burning bush, aphids	I was out working in my garden this morning and noticed that the tips of the stems of my burning bush looked curled and wilted. Thinking this was strange because of the recent rains, I looked closely and noticed the undersides of the leaves were covered by tiny, black insects? What are they and how should I treat them?
Burning bush, color	I have a large burning bush about 10 years old that never turns a bright red. It is only an orange color although other burning bushes nearby and far are bright red. It seems healthy, grows each year, blooms, has small red seed pods in fall. My location is in a rural subdivision and I would appreciate advice.
Burning bush, Maple, leaf scorch	I have a Burning Bush that never seems to get the flaming red color. Always a little red in the center of leaves, but brown on the edges. Seem to have the same trouble with a red sunset maple tree. All get good sun and water. We have a clay-type soil. Tree and bush are four years old. What could be done to get better red color?
Burning bush, pruning	The burning bush I have is about 15 years old and doing very well. This spring 2006 it has grown so much, it is to large for the space it is in. I don't want to transplant it. I like were it is. When and how should I prune it?
Burning bush, spider mites	I have 2 burning bushes that have had problem with a white grainy looking infestation that past couple years and subsequent early leave loss. I hope to nip the problem before it begins this season. Can you suggest products and time of application so that the beauty of the red leaves in the fall will make it this year?
Burning bushes, pruning, dieback	We have a series of burning bushes that line the front of our house and porch. They have always done well and we usually prune them back each spring. One of the bushes has developed a large dead spot about 3' x 4'. The exposed twigs seem to still be alive, but no new foliage has developed. Is this a result of over pruning? Will the foliage return next spring?
Butterfly bush	I have a butterfly bush that I got in May in a clay pot. I transplanted it into a larger clay container and kept it on our deck where it gets a lot of sun. Our yard is very shady and an earlier attempt to transplant a butterfly bush failed. I would like to keep the current plant alive by bringing it in the house. Is this possible? If so, what needs to be done re/pruning and care indoors?
Butterfly bush	We have ordered three butterfly bushes - one white, one red, one blue. We plan to plant these on the south side of our Bedford Stone house, which is the only full sun place we have. How far from foundation - how far apart - water, fertiziler, pruning - anything you care to tell us is appreciated. Our thought is to get something that blooms later in the summer.
Butterfly bush, Buddleia, pruning	My Butterfly Bushes grow very tall. Can I trim them to make them shorter and more bushy? When is the right time?
Butterfly bush, damage	I had to transplant 2 butterfly bushes because the men who replaced our roof broke off one of the main branches. I used a bag of humus and manure on them when I moved them last week. What should we feed them to encourage survival?
Butterfly bush, monarda, pruning	How far back do I prune a butterfly bush? Also, I have a beautiful display of monarda in the summer, but it often gets tall and leggy after a while. Can I cut the plants back and expect more blooms? Do I deadhead the blooms?
Butterfly bush, pruning	How do you recommend trimming a Butterfly bush? I planted one in May in the front of the house facing west. It has grown 4 feet high and 2 feet across already.
Butterfly bush, transplanting	Could you please tell me if it is possible to transplant a Butterfly bush either in the fall or in the spring? As I recall, the directions said to cut it back to about 10 inches in the spring. It has been in the ground for about 4 years, planted next to a hydrangea that is now so large that it is blocking the Butterfly bush. If it is possible to transplant it, how should it be done and what do you do to fertilize it?
Butterfly weed, cultivation	Can you perhaps clear up a point about Butterfly Weed? I recently ran across an article about flowers for butterflies that states "butterfly weed grows easily from seed and thrives in flowerpots." I always thought it had a deep taproot which would not be suitable for a flowerpot. If it can be grown in a pot, how deep would it have to be? I haven't had very good success with this plant.
Cacti, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving	IS THIS A THANKSGIVING, CHRISTMAS, OR EASTER CACTUS?
Cactus, hardiness	We have a cactus grown from a tiny potted plant and it is now about seven feet tall. We have been putting it outside each summer and bringing it into our basement each winter, but it is too tall (I removed a section of ceiling tile this year). We also have a clump of native Missouri cactus which thrives along a western wall of the house. Could the large cactus survive the Missouri winters outside if we provided protection?
California redwood tree	During a vacation trip several years ago we obtained a small redwood tree from northern California. It has now reached a height of seven feet, and we can no longer care for it inside the house. Do you think it will be safe to plant it outside? Will it survive our winters?
Calla lilies, Columbines	I have two questions: do I have to dig up Calla lilies in the fall, and do Columbines need sun or shade?
Camellias, bud drop	Can you help with a problem I'm having with my white Camellias in recent years? They are loaded with buds which start to form and get large and show color, but then they will not open. They eventually develop a brown ring and fall off. They are growing in a large enclosed area with skylights and a swimming pool. It gets cold at night but does not freeze. The conditions are ideal for camellias. The red varieties grow alongside the whites and all the plants look great with healthy foliage. The reds have hundreds of buds, bloom well, but never have this same problem that affects the whites.
Canna bulbs, overwintering	Last fall I dug up all of my Canna bulbs and stored them in cardboard boxes stuffed with shredded newspaper. I know that peat is suggested as a packing material, but newspaper is a lot cheaper. Anyway, I got the Cannas out of the box today to plant them and they are all dried up. I planted them anyway. Will they come up even though they were shriveled and dried up? When I planted them last Spring they were not shriveled up.
Cannas	I have admired the red plants that are planted along Highway 40/64. They are tall, like corn stalks, and produce flowers, usually red, although I have seen other colors in various yards. I would like to plant these along my house. What are they called, and where can the bulbs(?) be purchased.
Cannas, hardiness, overwintering	Is it ok to leave my cannas in the ground instead of digging them up every year?
Cannas, overwintering	What do I do to keep canna bulbs over the winter? Do they need to be kept cold and is the dark basement o.k.? Any information will be appreciated.
Cantaloupe	Why don't my cantaloupes have any taste this year?
Castor beans	While traveling to my brothers house I noticed a "different" plant, interesting in color and leaf shape. I stopped to inquire as to what it was and the homeowner said that it is a Castor bean. He gave me a box full of pods that resembled sweet gum balls, showed me how to break them open, get the seeds out and told me how to plant them. I planted them both in pots and in the ground this summer. The ones in the ground did very well, the ones in the pots just did OK. What info can you give me on this plant? The gardener I got the pods from said that this plant is what castor oil was made from and is very poisonous. The reason I wanted to plant it is because of its look, big leaves and intense red pods. Seems pretty hardy also.
Castor beans	Three years ago, I planted castor beans in my garden and they thrived. At the end of the growing season, I eliminated the leaves and most of the stalk, as it was my understanding that this plant is poisonous. Now I would like to plant vegetables in this same area but I am wondering if the soil has taken up any of the poison. How long does a person have to wait to rotate to another type of vegetation, with no ill side effects.
Castor beans, mole repellent	Do Castor bean plants placed around a yard actually repel moles, etc.? Also, where can I buy plants? I haven’t been able to find them at local nurseries.
Castor beans, soil poisoning	Three years ago, I planted castor beans in my garden and they thrived. At the end of the growing season, I eliminated the leaves and most of the stalk, as it was my understanding that this plant is poisonous. Now I would like to plant vegetables in this same area but I am wondering if the soil has taken up any of the poison. How long does a person have to wait to rotate to another type of vegetation, with no ill side effects.
Catalpa tree, propagation	I have a Catalpa tree volunteer growing in the crack between my house and driveway. How can I propagate it? I can't dig it up, it's stem goes into a 1/4" crack. I had another one in my Iris bed, and when I tried to transplant it, the taproot broke and it withered in 10 minutes, even though I stuck it in water immediately. I read in a gardening encyclopedia about green-stem cuttings and woody-stem cuttings, but I haven't had much success with such in the past. Will my tree produce seeds yet this year, or is it likely to survive zone 5 winter and maybe seed next year? I really like the form and structure of this plant and would like to have one in a more manageable location.
Catalpa, worms	What can you tell me about the Sphinx moth and Catalpa trees, its invasion of this tree and how to be rid of the critter? What is the life of this tree? If it is once infested will I have these nasty worms forever after? Also, what do you think about my neighbor who wants the invasion for fishing worms?
Catalpa, worms	In the 1970's we lived in South Carolina and at a certain time of the year the Catalpa trees would be stripped by worms. Seems it was right before frost. I have spotted 100 + trees in St. Louis and have not seen one that has any worm damage. I also remember that avid fishermen would almost come to blows to get the worms. Are we too far north for the worms to occur or don't they get on the trees every year?
Cats in garden	Late last fall, a new family and their cats moved in next door. Over the winter I didn't pay too much attention to my various gardens, but I've recently discovered that the cats have been digging in my gardens (much more severely than squirrels) and even establishing some areas as "litter box." It's difficult for me to determine how much damage they may already have done to my plants; I'll have to see whether they all come back. I have a number of related questions: How serious is this? Are cats only interested in the "off-season" bare garden? Would mulch help? Do you have any ideas how I can keep them away? PLEASE ADVISE. (Keep in mind I don't have a dog, and I do NOT own a gun, nor do I plan to get one--yet.) By the way, the cats also sit poised under my bird feeder--ARGH!
Cattails, cultivation	I am anxious to start some cattails in a marshy area on my property. A friend gave me a cattail "head". What do I need to do to start cattails from seed?
Cauliflower	I want to try my hand at growing cauliflower this year and prefer plants which will be ready for harvesting in minimum time. What varieties do you recommend?
Cauliflower, eggplant, early varieties	I want to plant cauliflower and eggplant. I want plants which will be ready for harvesting in minimum time. What varieties do you recommend?
Cedar apples, Cedar-apple rust fungus	What is it that causes the orange jelly-like balls on my Cedar trees?
Cedar apples, rust fungus	What is it that causes the orange jelly-like balls on my Cedar trees?
Cedar tree, cedar apples, cedar-apple rust fungus	What is it that causes the orange jelly-like balls on my Cedar trees?
Cedar tree, Cedar-apple rust fungus	What is it that causes the orange jelly-like balls on my Cedar trees?
Cedar trees, damage, wounds	I need help. My son ran off the road and side swiped a couple of mature cedar trees. Son is O.K., but the car is totaled. The trees didn't move an inch but took a pretty good hit and the bare wood is exposed. Can anything be done to help the trees?
Cedar-apple rust fungus	What is it that causes the orange jelly-like balls on my Cedar trees?
Cedars, Apple tree, cedar-apple rust fungus	I have allowed a tall privacy hedgerow of cedars to grow around two sides of my garden over the years. In recent years I have been planting many fruits trees. Now the apples are having trouble with rust disease, which I just recently found out is due to my cedars. I hate to cut down my privacy screen, but am reluctant to use many sprays. Do you have any suggestions?
Celadine poppies, dividing	I have some Celandine poppies growing in my shade garden, but would like to have many more. Can they be divided and if so, when is the best time to do this?
Celeriac, cultivation	I want to get a head start for next spring. Each year I order seeds for celeriac, or celery root, but I don't have any luck in getting them to germinate. Can you please give me some advice on the potting material needed and the treatment of seeds? Any help is greatly needed.
Celeriac, germination, cultivaton	I want to get a head start for next spring. Each year I order seeds for celeriac, or celery root, but I don't have any luck in getting them to germinate. Can you please give me some advice on the potting material needed and the treatment of seeds? Any help is greatly needed.
Chayote	I have a gardening friend and we always try to grow something different every year. We were reading in one article about chayote, and it sounds so interesting! However, we have looked everywhere, but have been unable to locate it. Do you know a source?
Cherries, birds	Can you provide me with a lawful remedy to keep robins from eating my cherries? They clean my cherry trees every year. I do not want nets because I have tried them.
Cherry tree	I've ordered two cherry trees. I want to plant one in the front yard and one in the back yard. My question is, with a house in between and eighty feet apart, will they have any trouble pollinating each other?
Cherry tree, injury	I have a 20-year old flowering cherry with lots of clear sap coming out all over many branches, trunk, and twigs. Can you tell me what this is and how to control it?
Cherry tree, autumn flowering	The blossom cherry tree in my backyard is flowering! I noticed it this morning. It is also growing new branches and leaves. Of course it flowered last spring. Has anybody else noticed similar unusual phenomenon? What might be the cause?
Cherry tree, disease	I have a 20-year old flowering cherry with lots of clear sap coming out all over many branches, trunk, and twigs. Can you tell me what this is and how to control it?
Cherry tree, fruit rot	I have two cherry trees in my yard, one a Bing and the other a pie cherry. The Bing is really loaded but the cherries on it and the pie cherry tree are rotting on the tree and the flies are thick. I have sprayed with commercial products, but they do no appear to work. Can you tell me what’s wrong and how to correct it ?
Cherry tree, scale, San Jose scale	We moved into our home this past spring. The previous owners had several older cherry trees that bore some fruit, but most were eaten by the birds. Some of the limbs have died and a lot of the leaves have recently turned yellow and fallen off. I notice that the trunks and many branches are covered with a gray scale. Please tell me what to do to control this pest?
Cherry trees	I've ordered two cherry trees. I want to plant one in the front yard and one in the back yard. My question is, with a house in between and eighty feet apart, will they have any trouble pollinating each other?
Cherry trees, worms, Eastern tent caterpillar	Can you tell me what is eating my cherry trees? There are these large white webs filled with worms and they are eating the leaves.
China Girl Holly	During the recent ice storm, deer came up in my yard and ate a good portion of the leaves of my 'China Girl' holly bushes, a foundation planting of 1990. Do you predict that the holly will recover? Should I take some new measures for fertilizing, or other? The holly is now protected with a tall chicken wire fence.
Chinese hibiscus, germination	I have an indoor Chinese hibiscus. Recently it formed several pods with seeds inside. Can I plant these seeds, and if so, what method would you advise?
Chinquapin oak, leaf curl	The leaves on my chinquapin oak are curling and dropping and also look like they have been burned. Have any ideas?
Chipmunks	My garden and also my yard are being ruined by chipmunks! What are my choices (other than guns!) to get rid of them? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
Christmas cactus	A couple of months ago you had a question about a "Christmas" cactus, and you explained that there are several types of cactus, each of which blooms at a slightly different time. I appreciate what you were saying since I am familiar with those that bloom around Thanksgiving, others around Christmas, and still others a bit later, or Easter cactus. My question has to do with one that blooms all three times! We moved here from central Wisconsin a little over 18 months ago. For years I had a Christmas cactus that tended to bloom sometimes between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It bloomed each year, but was never a showpiece, despite many attempts with controlled lighting, etc. After we got here, I placed it in the study, which faces north. It loaded up with blooms a little after Thanksgiving. During that time, I fed it a diluted plant food. It stopped blooming, and I figured that was it until next year. But it put out new buds, and bloomed a second time. It stopped again and then put on buds a third time! I assumed this was a one-time event because of being moved. Now it is starting to bloom a second time since about Thanksgiving. What kind of cactus is this? Crazy? Confused?
Christmas cactus	I received a beautiful Christmas cactus and it was full of buds ready to open. Instead of opening, they all turned brown and dropped off. What did I do wrong? It wasn't near heat or draft and I did water it, but not overly. The directions said to keep evenly moist.
Christmas cactus	I bought a beautiful Christmas cactus and it was full of buds ready to open. Instead of opening, they all turned brown and dropped off. What did I do wrong? It wasn't near heat or draft and I did water it, but not overly. The directions said to keep evenly moist.
Christmas cactus	I have several Christmas Cactus that are either blooming or budding. I have not watered them for about a month, now what I need to know is when do I start watering them? I also never bring mine in and put them in the dark, and they bloom well before Christmas. Am I doing something wrong? How much fertilizing do they need thru the winter months?
Christmas cactus	I was given a beautiful Christmas cactus two years ago by my sister. It was in flower with lovely pink blooms, but has not flowered since. Please tell me how to make it flower again?
Christmas cactus, force blooming	I was given a beautiful Christmas cactus two years ago by my sister. It was in flower with lovely pink blooms, but has not flowered since. Please tell me how to make it flower again?
Christmas cactus, identification	IS THIS A THANKSGIVING, CHRISTMAS, OR EASTER CACTUS?
Christmas cactus, propagation	I have a Christmas cactus that I bought at a discount store that has grown greatly since during the summer. I’d like some information on how to propagate to get another started.
Christmas cactus, seed germination	This past winter when my Christmas cactus bloomed I pollinated some of the flowers and now a seed capsule has started to develop. My question is what to do next? When to harvest, and what treatment do the seeds require?
Christmas peppers	Are Christmas peppers edible? If so, what color are they when ripe? I received a lovely plant that has white, yellow and red round fruits and handsome green leaves.
Christmas peppers	Are Christmas peppers edible? If so, what color are they when ripe? I received a lovely plant that has white, yellow and red round fruits and handsome green leaves.
Christmas tree insects	We always like to leave our tree up as long as possible after Christmas. Imagine my surprise this morning when I noticed all these dark insects on the wall beside the tree. Looking closely at the branches I noticed there are bugs all over the tree too. Help! What to do?
Christmas, Thanksgiving cactus	I have three large cacti in 10 and 12-inch hanging baskets. Two of them must be Thanksgiving cacti, as they bloomed profusely and were very beautiful. The third is the oldest of the three, and it always blooms after the other two have finished. That is, until the last two years when its' blooms were very sparse, and this year also there are very few buds. All three are watered, fed, and housed alike. What makes the difference? Would repotting help? This one must be a Christmas cactus, as the leaves are a little different.
Chrysanthemum	What's wrong with my mums? Some of my plants have flower buds and blooms already and some of the buds have dried up and don't look like they will bloom.
Chrysanthemum	Can I transplant mums now while they have buds on them?
Chrysanthemum	For the past few years, I have been buying mums at my local nursery out here in St. Charles county. They seem to thrive when I plant them and they bloom beautifully and then have wintered well. They come back in the spring, seemingly hale and hearty, but in a month or two, they start to develop withering of the stems and leaves from the ground up. Red lines start appearing in the stalks and then spread to the edges of the leaves and soon the emerging buds appear to be deformed and eventually turn brown and die. Unlike the previous two years, this year, the plants grew particularly large and bloomed about 3 weeks early -- with large copious flowers, even though I had been picking off the buds since early spring. Then, they too, started developing the virus and I pulled them out and discarded them. I have been told this is a "virus" peculiar to chrysanthemums and that there is no "cure." I've scoured my garden books and now am turning to you. Is there nothing one can do to eradicate this virus? Where did it come from? I never saw this before three years ago. My daughter, who lives within a few miles from my house, has been experiencing the same problem. Is there anything one can use to treat the soil? When I asked at the nursery this year, they said, "just don't plant them in the same place." Well, that's not an option for me. I live in a townhouse on a 25-foot lot and my garden is quite compact. Am I doomed to a "chrysanthemum-less" fall? Please advise.
Chrysanthemums, overwintering	Our chrysanthemums bloomed gorgeously and some are still blooming. Do we cut them back and if so, how short? Do we cover with mulch? These are so lovely we want to make sure that they come back next year.
Chrysanthemums, pinching	We have a great many chrysanthemum plants in our yard. Those from last fall are not nearly as full as those new ones planted this fall. They appear more "spindly"; taller, thinner with fewer flowers per bush. Is there a proper method and timing for pinching or pruning these mums to assist their growth forr next year? Is there some other special care that I need to be providing?
Chrysanthemums, pinching, cultivation	We have a great many chrysanthemum plants in our yard. Those from the previous fall were not nearly as full as those new ones planted last fall. They appeared more "spindly", being taller and thinner with fewer flowers per bush. Is there a proper method and timing for pinching or pruning mums to assist their growth for the coming year? Is there some other special care that I need to be providing?
Cineraria, cultivation	My husband bought home a lovely plant called Cineraria, but no care instructions accompanied it. What must we do to keep it in good health?
Citrus - dwarf orange	I bought a dwarf orange tree from a mail-order catalog 2 years ago during the winter. We kept it outside this past summer. When we brought it back inside this fall it bloomed and then set fruit. It’s only a foot tall and has eight small marble sized green oranges on it. Now it has just bloomed again, and I'm impressed! How should I take care of this? I was hoping to pick an orange from it, but I hope the oranges don't break it down.
Citrus plants, container-grown	I have four citrus plants, tangerine, grapefruit, orange and tangelo, that I grew from seeds of fruit I brought back from Florida. The tangerine (the oldest by a couple of years ) is already over four feet tall. Will they ever be capable of bearing fruit?
Clay pots, cleaning	I have some old clay and plastic pots that have grown plants outdoors. I'd like to use them for houseplants, but want to know the best way to clean them for re-use.
Claytonia virginica, Montia perfoliata	I'm curious about a plant that was featured on a recent TV program. It is called Miner's lettuce, but was also referred to as Claytonia and is used as a salad green. I'm familiar with the wildflower we call Spring Beauty, which is also called Claytonia. Are these plants the same? If so, have I been passing up a tasty salad substitute growing in my spring garden all these years?
Clelmatis die back, fungus leaf spot and stem rot	Two years ago my husband built a pagoda and we planted a purple clematis on each side. It was beautiful and full of blooms this year. Then the vines started to turn brown and looked dead so I cut away some of the vines. I suppose cutting into the vines was a mistake and made more of the vine die. Now I'm wondering if it will be back next spring or should I plant new ones?
Clematis	We have the standard large-flowered Clematis vines on our porch trellis. I waited until the stems were dead (or appeared dead) and then cut them off. Then I wondered if I should have done this, as the stems were green on the inside?
Clematis, Buddleia, pruning	I have questions about the following plants: Clematis paniculata (Sweet Autumn), Clematis 'Comtesse de Bouchard', and Buddleia 'Black Knight'. All are recommended for hard pruning in the early spring. I would prefer not to live with their dead branches during the winter. Would it harm them to prune them back to near the ground as soon as we have had a hard freeze? Although I would like a neater look in my garden during the winter months, I am very interested in maintaining optimum health in these plants.
Clematis, climbing support	I am wanting to train some clematis to climb up trees. I have 2 trees in mind, one is a very large sycamore, and the other is a cherry tree. I am wondering if I need to give the clematis any kind of support other than the tree trunk? If so, what kind? I wondered about some sort of chicken wire but I don't know if the trees would like having nails in their trunks to attach it.
Clematis, disease	I put 3 clematis plants on my trellis two years ago and they did fine. A couple days ago I noticed white spots on some of the leaves and a lot of yellow leaves. I sprayed it heavily two days ago with a store bought garden fungicide containing sulfur. This morning I checked and there are lots more spots and heavy damage of dead leaves. Is there something else I can do to save my plants?
Clematis, pruning	Is it too late to cut back my Clematis? The varieties I row are Dr.Ruppel, Ramona, President, Niobe,and Jackmanii. They are starting to put out new growth.
Clematis, pruning	We have the standard large-flowered Clematis vines on our porch trellis. I waited until the stems were dead (or appeared dead) and then cut them off. Then I wondered if I should have done this (the stems were green on the inside)
Clematis, pruning	We need to replace pickets in a wooden fence. Clematis has grown all over it and we had beautiful white blooms. Would it hurt next year's blooms to cut it back now? And, what is recommended height left after clipping?
Clematis, stem dieback, fungal disease	I have 3 clematis vines in my garden. One is about 5 years old and bloomed profusely this spring. A month or so ago the top of this vine started to turn an ugly green-brown color that continued down the plant. I have cut it back to 10 inches from the ground and that wood was still alive. I am hoping it will come back. But now my bi-color Nelly Moser is doing the same thing. Can you tell me what is happening or what I am doing wrong?
Clematis, sweetautumn, propagation	I have a Clematis vine that I planted from a cutting a friend gave me two years ago. It has done wonderfully on the west side of my house. It is a fall bloomer with small white flowers. I would like to pass a cutting on to my brother. I tried a cutting in potting soil, but it didn't root. When is the best time to try and separate the plant?
Clematis, sweetautumn, propagation	I have a Clematis vine that I planted from a cutting a friend gave me two years ago. It has done wonderfully on the west side of my house. It is a fall bloomer with small white flowers. I would like to pass a cutting on to my mother-in-law. I tried a cutting in potting soil, but it didn't root. When is the best time to try and separate the plant? I am new to gardening and could use any tips you have to offer.
Climbing hydrangea	I would appreciate your help with my climbing hydrangea, which hasn't bloomed in the six years since I planted it. Do you have any idea why not? It was only a 4" twig when I first planted it, but now is about 7' tall and very lush. I have trimmed the top few inches in previous years to keep it off some brickwork, but did not trim it this year. It has a western exposure, but most of the sunlight is lightly filtered through some trees. The soil is pretty rich and moist, and I fertilize with an acid-type product. Also tried some additional fertilizers this year. The leaves look wonderful, but shouldn't it have flowered by now?
Climbing hydrangea, flower production	I have a climbing hydrangea that doesn't have any flowers. What am I doing wrong? It gets a lot of full sun.
Climbing rose	I need help with climbing roses. I was told I need to cut them back every year. Should this be done now or should I wait until spring? I've heard different suggestions.
Climbing rose	Here is a horticultural mystery. Two years ago, I planted a white rose climber along side of a fence. It did well the first year, but I neglected it last year and it was overwhelmed by wild vines that apparently killed it. However, this spring when I was clearing the area, I noticed that a small cane of the plant had survived. The plant is recovering well, but the mystery is that the flowers are now red, not white! Does this make any sense?
Climbing rose, pruning	I need help with climbing roses. I was told I need to cut them back every year. Should this be done now or should I wait until spring? I've heard different suggestions.
Climbing rose, pruning	I have a climbing rose bush. After it bloomed last spring, in 2000, I cut off the old roses. It has not bloomed since. Did I make a mistake by cutting the roses off? I also cut the rose bush back last fall to about 1 1/2 feet off the ground, the same as I do my Hybrid Tea Roses. Was this a mistake also?
Climbing rose, pruning	I need help with climbing roses. I was told I need to cut them back every year. Should this be done now or should I wait until spring? I've heard different suggestions.
Climbing rose, tree roots	We do not have any roses in our yard and I am thinking about planting some climbers. The problem is that they will be planted about 6 feet from a 40 foot Silver maple. I am concerned that the invasive roots of the maple will curb the growth of the roses. I have two options regarding the root problem. I could dig a trench around the base of the roses when they are planted. This would sever the roots of the tree. I imagine I would have to perform this task every two years or so. The other solution would be to plant the roses in containers, but have never done this before. How large would the containers have to be to sustain the roses if they grow to 8 feet? Well, as you can see, things are never as simple as they start out to be.
Climbing, flowering vine	I have a flower bed that runs along the north border of our lot. I would like to add some height to this bed without planting a tree. I'm thinking of adding a six-foot trellis. Could you recommend a climbing, flowering vine that would flourish in a mostly shaded spot where it only receives 2-3 hours of full noonday sun and another 2-3 hours of dappled shade? The bed is new and still has some clay. Drainage is fair. I expect the soil to improve over the years as we add leaf mulch every fall and spring.
Clivia	I'm wondering if you have any suggestions as to the "care and feeding" of my clivia. I ordered it from a florist over a year ago. I didn't expect it to bloom last year, but was hopeful that this spring would be better. During the summer it was in a pot outside with plenty of sun or bright light. I've kept it on the dry side, and it wintered inside at a window with southern exposure. It has a dozen or more healthy leaves, some up to about 18 inches. I'm guessing that the bloom time is past for this year, but would like to do whatever is necessary for next year. What do you think?
Clivia	I'm wondering if you have any suggestions as to the "care and feeding" of my clivia. I ordered it from a florist over a year ago. I didn't expect it to bloom last year, but was hopeful that this spring would be better. During the summer it was in a pot outside with plenty of sun or bright light. I've kept it on the dry side, and it wintered inside at a window with southern exposure. It has a dozen or more healthy leaves, some up to about 18." I'm guessing that the bloom time is past for this year, but would like to do whatever is necessary for next year. What do you think?
Clivia miniata	Growing Clivia miniata My son was on vacation in California and brought back pictures of a plant growing in the landscape beds at the hotel. It has thick, dark green leaves. Someone said it was a Clivia lily. We wondered if it will grow here in St. Louis?
Clivia, cultivation	CLIVIAS RELIABLE BLOOMERS FOR YOUR WINTER WINDOWSILL
Clivia, poor bloom, repotting	My Clivia is a large and attractive plant, but it hasn't bloomed in a year or two and I hope you can give me some advice about how to get it to flower. It is about 22 years old and now has a total of 9 plants in a 13-inch diameter plastic pot. I have been told to feed it "bloom booster" such as 15 30 15 beginning in March or April. I try to give it as bright a light as possible (avoiding direct sun) while in the house. In the summer, I take it outside but it doesn't have direct sun. I've read that it likes to be root bound, but do you think it's two crowded to bloom anymore? If I do need to repot, when should I attempt it?
Clover in lawn	Clover is taking over my back yard,how do i get rid of it? are can you..
Clover mites	My in-laws own a small summer house in the country that we often use as a weekend getaway. This past week we were overrun by these tiny red insects that were everywhere, both indoors and out. Crushing them just made matters worse, as they left behind these red stains on the drapes, walls, and everything. A neighbor said they were mites. Please help!
Clover mites, control	My in-laws own a small summer house in the country that we often use as a weekend getaway. This past week we were overrun by these tiny red insects that were everywhere, both indoors and out. Crushing them just made matters worse, as they left behind these red stains on the drapes, walls, and everything. A neighbor said they were mites. Please help!
Coffee grounds	I would like to know if used coffee grounds are good to put in your garden?
Coffee grounds, surface mulch	I would like to know if used coffee grounds are good to put in your garden?
Coleus amboinicus, Plectranthus amboinicus	I purchased an herb this year with approximately 3/4 to 1-inch succulent leaves that smell just like Vicks vapor rub. Do you have any idea what this may be and how it can be used?
Colorado blue spruce, disease, wookpecker damage	Please help! Can you guide me in the direction to find out what is wrong with our Colorado Blue Spruce? The bottom branches are so dry and brittle you can snap them off. Also in between the rows of branches are rows of holes. The best description I can give is that it looks like someone is drilling holes in my Spruce. They are very uniform in size and distance apart. I do not believe it is the work of a bird, i.e. woodpecker, because I have not seen one on the tree. There is quite a bit of sap coming out of the holes, in fact it is running down the trunk like waterfalls. Any assistance you give would be greatly appreciated.
Columbine, cultivation	I found an extraordinary columbine while out for a walk recently. It had small flowers on bracts, much like the native columbines – but the flowers were purple. I collected a few seeds and put them in peat pots and am watering them. My Dad wonders if they need to freeze during the winter first. If I should get more seeds I could let them be till next spring. What do you think?
Columbine, cultivation	I'd like to know if this is a good time to plant columbine seeds and if I do plant them will they bloom for me this summer?
Columnar cypress, Italian cypress, hardiness	This summer while touring Tivoli Gardens in Italy, I fell in love with the beautiful tall, columnar variety of cypress trees that are found there and in gardens around Rome. My question is do you know if they will also grow in Southern Illinois? As you know, we have lots of native cypress trees on Horseshoe lake and in other wet areas here in the Cairo area, but they are not the same species as the Italian ones. If you think I could grow them here, do you have any idea where I could order them from?
Common olive, bonsai, cultivation	I would like to have information about how to grow an Olive tree as a bonsai? How to water it, and may I take it outside during summer?
Compost	I read an article last fall regarding making compost. It was using plastic trash bags. I recall the use of dry leaves, discarded plant foliage, egg shell, coffee grounds etc. The trash bags were filled and holes poked thru to allow rain water to enter. The bags were to be turned every so often. I have done this, but it appears nothing has changed when I look in the bags. How long does this process take? Am I wasting my time?
Compost	The reason I am writing is for you to settle an argument. I recently put a compost bin in my back yard and filled it with old leaves and some newspaper and some grass clippings. I am waiting for it to become compost. My sister says if I put green grass clippings in there, the composting process will speed up. My friend says that grass clippings actually slow the process down. Who is right? We are all sitting on pins and needles waiting for your reply.
Compost	The reason I am writing is for you to settle an argument. I recently put a compost bin in my back yard and filled it with old leaves and some newspaper and some grass clippings. I am waiting for it to become compost. My sister says if I put green grass clippings in there, the composting process will speed up. My friend says that grass clippings actually slow the process down. Who is right? We are all sitting on pins and needles waiting for your reply.
Compost	Which is better to have plowed under in my garden? I have available compost or leaves ground up last fall. The soil is made up mostly of clay but I have worked with it for 20 years and put in mostly leaves and grass.
Compost	My compost pile has been steaming for some time, but I notice the temperature has dropped a lot recently. Should I turn it now to make it heat up again?
Compost	My compost pile had been steaming for some time, but I notice the temperature has dropped a lot recently since cold temperatures arrived. Should I turn it now to make it heat back up again?
Compost	My compost pile had been steaming for some time, but I notice that has stopped. I assume the temperature has dropped a lot recently. Should I turn it now to make it heat back up again?
Composting	I am a beginning 50 year old gardener, and each fall the company that cuts our lawn and rakes the leaves dumps them in a large pile with some grass clippings in the back of my yard. I would like to begin composting them. I understand I may need more "green" to get the leaves cooking. Would it be better to add nitrogen, or may I use straw or hay, and layer the leaf-straw mixture, or is there a better way altogether? My wife has informed me we are not going to add kitchen wastes and food scraps to the pile.
Concord grapes, fungal disease	Can you help me find out what is wrong with my Concord Grapes? They were beautiful early in the spring, and now are falling off before they are ripe or turning black. I sprayed for black rot this year, but am stumped as to what is wrong or what the remedy is. Any help or adice you could give me will begreatly appreciated.
Coneflower cultivation	A friend gave me a purple coneflower this spring. I planted it in a mulched perennial bed. As it started to bloom, I noticed it was wilting every day. I tried watering but after a couple of days it stayed wilted. I put it in a pot to see if different soil would help, but now it has collapsed. What went wrong?
Coneflower, aster yellows	I have a coneflower that the petals never turn color. They stay green and then there is a green growth coming out of the green cone. What can this be? It is a very attractive plant.
Coneflowers, aster yellow, mosaic virus	I have enjoyed my purple coneflowers all summer long. Lately though, one of my plants is making only green bushy flowers, and on one other plant, one stalk has these same green flowers, but the rest of the blooms are normal. The leaves on the plants all look healthy. What is wrong?
Confederate rose, Hibiscus	I have some relatives in Alabama who sent stem cuttings from a flowering bush. They call this plant a Confederate Rose and say to root the cuttings in dirt or just bury them in the yard and they will sprout. Have you ever heard of this plant or know anything about it? I am not sure if it would survive our Missouri winters outdoors or what type of conditions to plant it in.
Conifer needle browning	There are areas on several conifer trees in our yard where the needles or branches have turned brown. I actually touched a few limbs on one of the trees and the limb fell off. I tried to research this problem at the library and was not able to find what I was looking for. Do you have any suggestions?
Conifer needle browning	There are areas on several conifer trees in our yard where the needles or branches have turned brown. I actually touched a few limbs on one of the trees and the limb fell off. I tried to research this problem at the library and was not able to find what I was looking for. Do you have any suggestions?
Container plant	What perennial can I plant in a container on the north side of my house? Something large to screen A/C, and will not suffer winter kill from being in a container. Thank you.
Container plants, overwintering	I have several Stella d'Oro day lilies that I planted in large containers on my patio. What should I do to protect them over the winter? Also, can you tell me if I need to protect a Rhododendron that I have growing in a large tub that stays outdoors all winter on my deck?
Container plants, overwintering	I have several Stella d'Oro day lilies that I planted in large containers on my patio. What should I do to protect them over the winter? Also, can you tell me if I need to protect a Rhododendron that I have growing in a large tub that stays outdoors all winter on my deck?
Container shrubs, winter survival	I have some outside pots on the South and West side of the house. These pots are above ground and are 20 inches in diameter, and 16 inches tall. I would like to know what kind bushes that I can put in these that will take the weather all year round and don't need to be brought inside in the winter.
Container soil reuse	I have a container garden on my deck, with 20 or so varying-sized flower pots that have potting soil as the growing medium. What is the best process for handling the soil at the end of the growing season? Does one reuse the same soil year after year, replace it each year, add specific fertilizer, etc.? Also, is potting soil the best medium for containers?
Container vines	I recently acquired a beautiful white wrought iron corner trellis. As an apartment dweller, I always plant in pots. The spot that I plan to put the trellis is in the corner of a brick building that receives afternon sun from 2:30 pm through the rest of the afternoon, and gets quite hot. What kind of climbing plant would you recommend for this spot and what size pot would you recommend? I think I would be able to protect the spot in the winter.
Copper beech	I couldn't resist picking up one of the copper beeches at a local plant sale. However, I can't find any planting and care info for it on the web. Can you help? They are one of my favorite trees and I'll find a good spot for it, I just need to know what that spot would be like!
Coral bells, blooming	My coral bells have tried to bloom the last two seasons. The plants are healthy, and get sunshine about 3/4ths of the day. My problem is they come out and make a nice head of flowers, but they never open up. It looks like they don’t want to get the sun in their eye’s. What am I missing?
Coral bells, perennial heaving	This spring I notice that some of my ferns and Coral Bells have lifted out of the soil and have little or no new growth. What could have caused this and will these plants survive?
Corkscrew willow, cankers	I don't know if you can help me or not. I have a Corkscrew willow tree in my backyard that appears to be "outgrowing" it's bark. In July, even before the flood here in Illinois, I noticed this. The split is about 8" off the ground on the main trunk, and the inside looks like a web of roots. It doesn't appear to be deep, maybe an inch. On the larger upper branches, there are bulges that look like they are going to spilt open. In places on the main trunk, the bark is peeling away. The tree is about 4 years old, healthy and rapid growing, not abused or infested with visible insects or disease. There are flowers planted under it with a bark mulch, which I water several times a week. I have noticed, in the past 3 years that we have lived here, the tree has doubled in height. Would you happen to know if there is a problem?
Corn plant	I have a corn plant that seemed to just thrive for nearly a year, then I noticed it looked a bit limp. The soil was adequately moist. After a few weeks I felt with my fingers and noticed one of the two stems seemed spongy. I cut that stem off and I am wondering if I simply cut a few inches off the top of the main stalk, would it send out new shoots. I put it outside in a shady place this summer and it has new growth coming up from the roots.
Corn plant	Our Corn Plant just sent up a flower stalk, but the smell of the bloom was so overpowering that my husband cut the stalk off. It was either that, or he was going to put the plant outdoors to freeze! Is my plant going to be O.K.?
Corn plant	I purchased a corn plant (Dracaena fragrans massangeana) about 5 years ago. It produced flowers this year (first time since I have had the plant.) The fragrance was fairly strong, which was surprising. How often do these plants flower?
Corn plant, blooms	Our Corn Plant just sent up a flower stalk, but the smell of the bloom was so overpowering that my husband cut the stalk off. It was either that, or he was going to put the plant outdoors to freeze! Is my plant going to be O.K.?
Corn plant, Dracaena fragrans, blooming	Have you ever heard of a corn plant (Dracaena fragrans "Massangeana") blooming? I have had this plant for 20+ years and this year it put out a very interesting long stem with pompom-like clusters of the most fragrant blooms. I am interested in knowing if this is common for this plant to bloom and what conditions it prefers to encourage it to bloom again.
Corn, pollination	My corn is already 6' tall, but there are no ears. The tops have developed, but I thought their purpose was to pollinate the corn silks. But, there are no corn silks? Do I have weird corn, or am I just over anxious?
Cornelian cherry dogwood, propagation	I have collected some fruit from a very attractive small tree in a nearby park which I have identified as Cornelian cherry dogwood. I would like to try growing some from the seed. When and how should the seed be planted? Can they be started indoors? Is any special handling required?
Cotton culture, insects	I can’t find seeds for cotton. What can I do besides drive down south and make a deal with a farmer? The dried pods burst in a star shape and I want to grow them this summer and use them to make a Christmas wreath. Also, someone told me that cotton is insect riddled. What can I do about that?
Cotton plant, cultivation	I received a cotton plant in a pot as a gift, but don't know how to care for it. It is outside right now in full sun (in the pot) and bearing blossoms of yellow-white which turn to rose-pink shades. Will these flowers be the cotton "bolls" later? What about wintering?
Crab grass	In my vegetable garden I get so much of what I call crab grass. It grows about 8 to 12 inches high and is tough to dig out. The roots are deep and the top seeds. Before I till my garden for the fall, can I put something in the ground so the grass doesn't come back next year? I dig it out, but it keeps coming back.
Crab grass	In my vegetable garden I get so much of what I call crab grass. It grows about 8 to 12 inches high and is tough to dig out. The roots are deep and the top seeds. Before I till my garden for the fall, can I put something in the ground so the grass doesn't come back next year? I dig it out, but it keeps coming back.
Crabapple tree	We have a flowering crab tree that is approximately 5 years old. Last year it bloomed profusely but then we noticed that the leaves were very small. This spring there were blooms, but fewer than last year, and the leaves are again sparse and small. We fed the tree in early spring and pruned it back a bit. Someone told us that they thought the tree was girdling itself. Any suggestions?
Crabapple tree, fungus	I have several crabapple trees that always look good at this time of year, but by summer most of the leaves have fallen off and they look terrible. If there is something I can do to prevent this, please tell me what it is?
Crabapple tree, leaf drop	I have a crabapple tree that loses its leaves every summer. It is 4 years old and I keep it watered. What is the trouble?
Crabgrass	Do you know how long you can wait to put down crabgrass preventer.
Crabgrass	Can you suggest something to kill crabgrass without harming my lawn, which is a combination of fescue, bluegrass, and rye? I have used a commonly available crabgrass killer product some years ago, but without much success.
Crabgrass, Nut grass control. Herbicides	My mother has had a large, beautiful iris bed, started by her mother, for many years. During the last two years she was unable to care for it due to ill health and that responsibility has now been passed on to me. The problem is an invasion of crab grass and nut grass that has encroached from the surrounding yard and has a 2 year head start on me. The roots are difficult if not impossible to pull and/or dig out. Any suggestions you might have on what I can do, without harming the iris, would be appreciated. Some of them are due to be divided this year but since it is a large area it's not feasible to dig up everything, retill and start over. Thanks for your help.
Cranberry viburnums, American, European	I have a cranberry viburnum bush that is about 4 years old and has never bloomed or gotten berries. It seems healthy and is growing nicely, but can you tell me what the problem might be or what I can do to make it bloom?
Crapemyrtles, cultivation	Why doesn't my Crepe Myrtle bloom? Every year I cut it down and it grows to about five foot, but no flowers. Is there a certain kind of plant food to use? The bush is otherwise beautiful.
Crepe myrtle	I am getting ready to cut my crape myrtle and take the seeds off. A couple of people wanted to take seeds and plant them in the spring. The only thing I can find in my gardening book says to take the seeds, put them in a bag to dry, and plant them in the spring. Do you have any more instructions than that? How deep do you plant the seeds? Do you keep them inside or out during the winter? HELP!
Crepe myrtle	How successful can crepe myrtle be grown in the St. Louis area? I have always associated it with warmer climates, but have seen the shrub growing here for several years. Is there any information on particular varieties or precautions that should be taken for anyone attempting to grow the shrub here? I shall appreciate any information or comments you might have regarding crepe myrtle in our climate.
Crepe myrtle	I have a crype myrtle bush which was here when I bought the house. The first year under my care it grew and bloomed. Last year, even though I dont think I changed my regimen, while it grew to six feet it nevered bloomed. Again this year it grew well and kept getting taller, but again no blooms. I cut it back every fall and cover it with mulch. In the spring I uncover it when new growth appears, and fertilize it with your basic food for flowering plants. What exact care does it need? about my crape myrtle - it never did bloom.
Crepe Myrtle	Will the tree called Crepe Myrtle survive in the St.Louis area? The location will be direct morning sun and shade from mid afternoon. Also, it will be about 25 feet from rather heavy traffic.
Crepe myrtle	A recent article in the paper tells you should prune crape myrtles inches above the soil line in the spring. We have a Red crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia indica}. Should it be pruned as stated? The card on the plant when we purchased it said the size should be 15'tall and 10'wide.
Crepe myrtle	Is it OK to move a couple of Crape myrtles I have in the yard? They are about 4 ft. in height with a trunk diameter of 1-1.5 inches. I used to live in Atlanta and moved one in the spring. It did fine after a lot of water. Any thoughts?
Crepe myrtle	I have a Crape myrtle bush which was here when I bought the house. The first year under my care it grew and bloomed. Last year, even though I don’t think I changed anything, it grew to six feet but never bloomed. Again this year it is growing well, but again no blooms yet. I cut it back every fall and cover it with mulch. In the spring I uncover it when new growth appears, and fertilize it with your basic food for flowering plants. What exact care does it need?
Crepe myrtle	We have a red and white crepemyrtle growing in our backyard and really enjoy the flowers every summer. We want to put a red crepe myrtle in our front yard and train it as close as possible to resemble a tree. I have seen these grown in Georgia many times. What advice do you have to offer that would enable us to accomplish this.
Crepe myrtle	I have a crape myrtle that is about 5 yrs old. It was about 2 ft. tall when planted. The next year it had one bloom. Same thing the following year. Blooms were white. Last year it had about 4 blooms. It is now 7-8 ft. tall and 6 ft wide. This year it had NO blooms at all. I trimmed it last summer, late August after it finished it's pitiful, but large, blooms. So what happened to this years blooms? It is receiving less and less sun due to an untrimmed holly tree on the other side of the fence, which my neighbor has never trimmed and it is shading my once sunny garden. Is this the problem, or did I trim it at the wrong time of year? I didn't trim it at all this year waiting for it to bloom, but alas, it failed me.
Crepe Myrtle, flower production, cultivation	Why doesn't my Crepe Myrtle bloom? Every year I cut it down and it grows to about five foot, but no flowers. Is there a certain kind of plant food to use? The bush is otherwise beautiful.
Crepe myrtle, winter protection	Is there something she can do to help her crape myrtles survive our winters?
Crepemyrtle, pruming; bulb relocation	Should I cut down the old growth on my Crapemrytle bush that I planted last year? Also, we are doing some deck construction. When can I move my daffodil and tulips? They are blooming now but can't stay in their present location.
Crimson King maple, pruning, borers	My Crimson King red maple has 3 or 4 dead branches on one side. I was told that I might have a borer in the tree, but I can't find where it's starting from. Could I prune back the branches to the fork and hope that the tree will fill out next year? The rest of the tree is beautiful and also 40 years old.
Crimson maple oozing	I live in Bloomington IL but saw your column while visiting St. Louis. No one here has any answers for me so hope you can help. I have a beautiful crimson maple (the kids even named her) approx 18 years old. About 7 years ago my dog chewed on the trunk and left a wound. It oozes a smelly brown substance from the wound and it looks like another spot is also oozing. Otherwise the tree has leafed out beautifully every year. Is this a disease process, sap, or ??? I value this tree, so would treat it if there is anything that should be done.
Crinum bulbs	Where can I buy crinum bulbs?
Crocus	This spring in a small area in our back yard that is covered with Vinca ground cover we have one white and one deep blue Crocus. They are beautiful, but none were planted there. The neighbor behind us said they didn't plant any crocus either. Any idea where they came from? I have some planted in the front yard, but none of that deep blue.
Crocus bulbs	My question is this: I planted 100 crocus bulbs in early January because I didn't take the time to do it last fall. None of them has so much as poked one little leaf up yet. I figure they are doing the root development which they would have been doing in the fall. But, if it gets warm now, what will the bulbs do? Have you had any experience with late planted bulbs? Do you think they will just go dormant for the summer and come up and bloom normally next year?
Crocus, replanting	Can I dig my crocus bulbs and replant them?
Croton cultivation	A friend gave me a rooted cutting from her variegated croton plant and I’d like to know how to grow it?
Croton, cultivation	I have just received a beautiful plant that is new to me called a Croton. Please tell me how to keep it healthy?
Crotons, cultivation	I have good success starting new plants from my 10 year old Croton, but after they have been put in another pot, in potting soil (I have them sitting on my front porch back next to the house, getting west daylight, no direct sun), and they are looking pretty sad, not doing well. The four leaves are all dark green, and wilting although I do keep them watered, and I put a stick of fertilizer in the small 6" pot. What am I doing wrong? Do they need to be in direct sunlight, as the mother plant always sits on the North end of the porch, or should they be out where it gets all afternoon sun?
Cucumber	I have a cucumber question. I raise pickling cukes and grow them up a trellis. I grew them from seeds indoors and transplanted about May 1. They did very well at producing. Some were the variety ‘Boston’ and others ‘Wisconsin’. My 2 best ones were about 8 feet up the fence and looking great and within 48 hours both withered and died. They had plenty of water, regular water and well drained. Is the "life" of a producing cuke about 70 days or so? These plants looked great before this deal. I know there is no crying allowed in gardening, but I am confused. What might have happened?
Cucumber	For the last 2 or 3 years I am having trouble with my cucumber plants. I plant them next to some wire fencing for them to climb. They grow and climb beautifully, then, all at once, the plants die from the top down. Many of my friends are having the same trouble. Can you help?
Cucumber bacterial wilt	For the last 2 or 3 years I am having trouble with my cucumber plants. I plant them next to some wire fencing for them to climb. They grow and climb beautifully, then, all at once, the plants die from the top down. Many of my friends are having the same trouble. Can you help?
Cucumber magnolia seed propagation	My question concerns Cucumber magnolia trees. I would like to plant one in my back yard. I have found several of these trees in a local park and they are producing fruit right now. Can these pods just be planted in the ground and expected to grow as is, or do I need special seeds or to buy a tree from a nursery? The yard receives full sun for almost the entire day. Are there any special considerations I need to address in the attempt to grow this type of tree?
Cuttings, rooting	I have a number of cuttings taking root in water, outside our house. Recently, I changed the water and found mosquito larvae growing in them. I changed the water and hopefully got rid of this batch of mosquito larvae. How can I prevent this from happening again? I have considered placing a moth ball in the water but would like to have your opinion first.
Cutworm control, Roses	Would you please advise how to get rid of cutworms on roses?
Cyclamen, recycling	RECYCLING A CYCLAMEN
Daffodil	I bought this house 5 years ago. The daffodils in one spot come up every year but do not go to full bloom. The petals are mis-shaped and two-toned yellow and green. I plan to divide them to see if their problem is being too crowded. Could they be diseased?
Daffodil	I had about 12 daffodil plants, and this is their second year, but only three plants bloomed this spring. Can you give me any advice? I had tulips in the same area and they all bloomed. Comparing the soil, I would have to say the area where the daffodils are is wetter.
Daffodil	What do I do with the daffodils now that they have finished blooming? Should I cut back the flower stalks?
Daffodil, blasting	I have a dense clump of Daffodils that the flowers did not fully open. They just stayed clumpy inside this green sheath and never emerged. The leaves are also very crowded. Do they need to be divided, and is that why they did not bloom well?
Daffodil, Bud blast	I have some Jonquils which never bloom. The buds start to grow but just dry up. They were like that before a recent freeze. They are facing the south. I would appreciate your comments on this problem?
Daffodil, double	I dug and reset my daffodils last fall. Their flowers were fully double like a dahlia. This spring when they bloomed every one of them was single. Do you have any idea what caused this? Could they be too deep, or what?
Daffodil, Iris, blooming	We bought a place with ten acres in the country. Every spring the daffodil leaves grow but I hardly get any flowers. The same is true of the tall Iris. There used to be a couple of homesteads on the farm, but everything has gone wild and the flowers are now in the woods. Please tell me what I need to do to get them to bloom again?
Daffodil, Narcissus, fall growth onquils	I have planted a group of hybrid Jonquils beside our east porch. They came up in October and by November they were 18 inches high. I know everything is all out of balance after our warm fall, but is there anything I can do with them to have them bloom this spring? They have been planted 2 years.
Daffodil, planting	I have 200 daffodil bulbs waiting to go in a strip of ground at the edge of my property. Unfortunately, the contractors of the new house next door still haven't removed tons of gravel they dumped on my ground. Once the gravel is gone, it should be the right depth that I can just put down the bulbs and cover them with 6-8" of soil and then mulch. My neighbors are bugging the contractor, but how much longer can I wait?
Daffodil, transplanting	I also like to know if I can dig my daffadils now from ground. The leaves are yellowish and droopy.
Daffodil, trimming	When should daffodil leaves be trimmed back? How should I treat the daffodils which did not bloom this year?
Dahlia, insects, diseases	I wonder if you could help me find the reason that my small dahlias have such rusty leaves. It seems to happen every year. They are about five years old. They keep blooming, but look awful. Another problem I discovered this morning as I was weeding. I have small white bugs that fly when I touch my columbine. Do they hurt anything? Would germicidal soap clean them up?
Damaged tree	We have a problem. We built a house about eight years ago. The lot was very wooded and we tried to be careful and not damage the trees and roots during construction. One in our front yard was hit by a piece of construction equipment and damaged. This past year woodpeckers discovered that part of the tree and pecked several holes into it. Now we've noticed what looks like carpenter ants are going in and out the holes. This tree is in front of our house and we really would hate to lose it. It's about 60 to 70 feet tall, a pin oak, surrounded by a mossy base -- grass doesn't grow well in this heavy shade. Is there anything at all we can do to try and save this tree? My husband says that years ago people used to patch their trees with concrete. Would this be advisable? If we can't save it, is there anything we can do to prolong its dying?
Daphne	I have a question that I hope you will help me with. I recently purchased two fragrant winter Daphnes (one pink, one white form) in one gallon pots. Neither specimen was doing very well and they had lost most of their leaves. I would like to know what I should do for optimal growth. I now have them in part shade in a cactus mix with some added perlite and am watering with a dilute fertilizer. I read somewhere that they like well-drained but neutral pH so I thought that the cactus mix would work best. Please tell me if there is something I have missed.
Datura, Angel;s trumpet, Downy thorn apple	A couple of years ago a friend gave me some round spiked pods full of seeds. He told me to plant them and at maturity there will be a big trumpet-shaped white flower that blooms at night. We have grown these plants the last two years. They are beautiful with flowers with a real strong almost fruity scent. Do you know what is the real name of these plants? Do they come in other colors, and if so, where can I get them?
Dawn Redwood, transplanting	My parents have a dawn redwood that they planted in their yard. They were told the seed on dawn redwoods would not grow in this part of the country. They now have at least three seeds that have grown into seedlings. In moving these trees to my home in the St. Louis area (about 30 miles further north) is there any special preparations for planting that I need to do to prepare the soil or the area in which to plant them? How much soil should be taken up to assure the roots are not damaged?
Daylilies	I transplanted some daylilies on the Fourth of July. How often should we water them? What about plant food ?
Daylilies	I’m growing Golden Ginko and Red Pinnochio daylilies. They bloom beautifully, but the blooms only last 1 day and then they wilt. Is their anything I can do to keep the blooms pretty longer?
Daylilies, Cannas, propagation	I am a novice gardener with a large garden to fill. A friend has lovely yellow daylilies and yellow/red cannas. She does not have enough to separate and share roots, but I've noticed that both produced seeds. I gathered some and my question is will these seeds produce plants? I've never heard of them being propagated by seeds. If they are fertile, should they be planted in spring or fall?
Daylilies, dividing, Creeping phlox, dividing	I have a garden which is bordered by creeping phlox and behind that a border of Stella Doro day lilies. The lilies needed divided but can I also thin the phlox?. Some of the phlox seems to be dying out. Behind the lilies is purple cone flower and red monarda. Is it best to wait until the first hard frost to cut back all perennials?
Daylilies, division	I have a large clump of daylilies in my back yard. They didn't seem to bloom as much this year as in the past. Do you ever dig them up and separate the roots? If so, when?
Daylilies, division	Is it too late to divide the daylilies? If not, how is this best done?
Daylilies, ke-ke's	One of our day lilies has something unusual going on. The blooming period is over and a couple of the flower stems have growths that look like a new plant. They resemble an airplane plant. They are on stems that are stiff and can't be bent down to the ground without breaking them. I assume these are new plants but they are not showing any kind of root system. What do we do with them?
Daylilies, peonies, transplanting	I have a question about some daylilies and peonies. We moved from another property recently and lifted those up last fall and just temporarily heeled them into the ground. We're having a little difficulty getting a new bed ready for them at this location. Are we going to have problems if we can't get them out of the ground soon?
Daylilies, proliferation	I was cutting off the spent flower stalks on my daylilies and noticed that one had produced this side stalk with a little plant growing out from it. Can these be rooted to make new plants?
Daylilies, transplanting	I would like to transplant some daylilies from my mother's home in Kentucky. We have just had final grading done by the contractor, and can make a trip home to dig them up within the next few weeks. Will this work out timewise for the plants? If so, are there any special precautions I should take either in the digging up or in the soil preparation and planting to ensure that they have a better prospect of wintering well and becoming well established for blooming next year?
Deadheading, daylilies	I am a very amateur gardener. Please tell me what you mean by deadheading in reference to day lilies. Keep the spent blooms on the plant to get the longest flowering season or remove the dead blooms?
Deciduous and evergreen shrubs, transplanting	We are having some construction work done soon. Because of this we must move the shrubs which consist of boxwood, golden & crimson barberry, cotoneaster, purple leaf plum and a silver lace vine. We can move them to the garden, but should they be moved now or later? Then should we move them again once the work is completed or leave them until spring? They also need to be pruned back in size. When should this be done.
Decline in trees & shrubs	Decline in Trees and Shrubs
Deer	We recently planted 3 white pines and 3 Norway spruce. We live in an area with a large deer heard that wanders through our yard almost nightly. Is there something we can do about the deer? Is there some protection that we can give the 5 foot tall pines and spruce?
Delphiniums	I love Delphiniums. Are there any that grow well here in St. Louis?
Devils-tongue, cultivation	I bought some Devils-tongue bulbs at a garden club plant sale. I've never grown them before, but was intrigued by their name. Please tell me how to care for them? How deep should they be planted, etc.?
Dianthus barbatus	I have an area I call my nursery in which I planted some seeds last year. It is fun to watch the plants greening up and will be fun to see new bloomers. One is Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus). I bought seeds a year ago and put them in last spring. My question is, the catalog describes it as "a perennial variety which usually perform as an annual." Last year I don't even remember seeing these plants occur, much less bloom. Do you think they will only bloom this year, and that will be the end of them unless I sow more seed, or do you think they will bloom again?
Dieffenbachia	I have a dieffenbachia that is getting too big and is now over 6 feet tall. Most of the height is just stalk with leaves on the upper 18 inches of so. It was repotted once some years ago. I would like to keep the plant healthy. What would you suggest?
Dieffenbachia	I have a large inside dieffenbachia plant. I was wondering why sometimes it drips/leaks water out of the edges of it's leaves and if there is anything to prevent it from happening. I'll come home from work and there's little drips on the hard wood floor. It usually happens more when I rotate the plant. Also, is this "juice" toxic to a cat?
Dieffenbachia, cultivation	We have 3 beautiful Dieffenbachia plants. They grow very well and look great, but have a problem that may be characteristic or inherent with the species. We desire to learn why the plants have such weak trunk structure? Perhaps they need support of which we do provide, but if perhaps there is another situation that you are aware of that will rectify this problem?
Dipladenia vine, Mandevilla	I brought in a Dipladenia vine that I grew outside in my garden last summer. I had it growing in one of those three tiered tomato cages. It hasn’t had any flowers all winter and I have it in front of a large picture window. Now the tendrils are reaching up toward the drapes, so I’ve been training the vines back down onto the wire cage. Will it hurt the plant to make it grow down instead of up?
Dodder	I have this yellow and orange viney weed that doesn't seem to need a root in dirt. If I leave just a piece of a ring that grows around my cosmos stems it will regrow. It makes little white clusters of flowers. I pick it off several times a day it seems. It wanders from one stem to another and winds around and around. What is it? Where did it come from? How can I get rid of it without killing off my cosmos, roses, daisies and other blooming flowers in my garden?
Dodder	I have this yellow and orange viney weed that doesn't seem to need a root in dirt. If I leave just a piece of a ring that grows around my cosmos stems it will regrow. It makes little white clusters of flowers. I pick it off several times a day it seems. It wanders from one stem to another and winds around and around. What is it? Where did it come from? How can I get rid of it without killing off my cosmos, roses, daisies and other blooming flowers in my garden?
Dodder, removal, control	I have this yellow and orange vine that my husband calls golden thread. It doesn't seem to need a root in dirt, but it winds all over my Stella daylilies and other perennials. It makes little white clusters of flowers. If I pick it off it just grows right back and winds from one stem to another. What is it, where did it come from, and how can I get rid of it?
Dogwood tree	My dogwood has flower-like buds on it, a rarity at any time of year for me, but now? The thing is, it's not a very pretty shape. The top branches are straggly and the bottom is full and lush but again, no shape. Can I cut off the lower branches and hope the tree will put its energy into the higher ups? Or, can I expect those buds to flower next spring? If so I will wait till next year to prune. Flowers anywhere on that thing are such a treat.
Dogwood tree	I have two dogwood trees, This year they did not bloom as much as they did last year. Is that due to the lack of rain last year?
Dogwood tree	I have a 3 foot high dogwood tree that was given to me as a bare root plant in one of those tree giveaways. It is doing well except it is plagued by mildew in the summer. The other mature dogwoods on our street don't suffer the mildew problem. I am wondering if the mildew problem is due to the tree being immature, or if it is an inferior cultivar that will always be plagued by mildew.
Dogwood tree, cold weather injury	Thank you for your articles in the Post. Here's another Q on dogwoods: If a dogwood loses its leaves at early frost and does not regenerate them, will the dogwood show new growth the following year)? Also, how can dogwoods be safeguarded from frostbite and disease? (I'd assume my tree is dead, but another home gardener says the tree is likely to show new growth next year, but the blossoms will be pink instead of the original white. Also, only one of my five dogwoods appeared to die after this year's early frost, so I'm not sure if the cause was the frost or a disease.)
Dogwood tree, frost	Thank you for your articles in the Post. Here's another Q on dogwoods: > If a dogwood loses its leaves at early frost and does not regenerate > them, will the dogwood show new growth the following year)? Also, how > can dogwoods be safeguarded from frostbite and disease? > > (I'd assume my tree is dead, but another home gardener says the tree is > likely to show new growth next year, but the blossoms will be pink > instead of the original white. Also, only one of my five dogwoods > appeared to die after this year's early frost, so I'm not sure if the > cause was the frost or a disease.)
Dogwood tree, Powdery mildew, fungus	My Dogwood tree has this white powdery growth on some of the new leaves and many of the older leaves have patchy rusty areas that turn brown. Is there something I can do to be sure I don't lose this tree? This is a tree that was here on the property when we built this house.
Dogwood tree, pruning	When can you prune a Dogwood tree and how far back can you prune each branch?
Dogwood, borers	Last fall my flowering dogwood tree became infested with borers. I was advised to spray the tree with an insecticide. Not wanting to go that route, I decided to scrape away the infected places and treat the wound with a tobacco-salve mixture of my own devising. I also wrapped the wound and placed a circle of moth balls at the base. The tree did bloom and leaf out this spring although not as fully as it should. Is there anything else I can do for the tree without using insecticides? Also, would fertilizer help?
Dogwood, disease	I have lots and lots of dogwoods on my property and I really hope that one of them hasn't become diseased because it would be a big problem. The problem is that the 'flower' bracts never really opened on most of the branches. They tried to open but looked like they were stuck together at the tip and wouldn't flatten out. They browned quickly and all of them fell off the tree. The leaves look fine as does all the bark. Any thoughts?
Dogwood, fungus control	I have two Dogwood's - one in the front yard and one in the back yard. For the past two years the dogwood in the front yard has developed what I think is a fungus where the leaves start with brown spots and eventually the whole leaf turns brown and falls off the tree. The dogwood in the back yard shows no such symptoms. Last year I went to a nearby garden store and showed a staff expert several leaves from the affected tree and he diagnosed a fungus disease. He recommended I spray the affected tree with Daconil which seemed to arrest the fungus, however the tree sustained a severe loss of leaves. The question is should I spray the affected tree now before the fungus reappears?
Dogwood, leaf drop	Thank you for your articles in the Post. Here's another Q on dogwoods: If a dogwood loses its leaves at early frost and does not regenerate them, will the dogwood show new growth the following year)? Also, how can dogwoods be safeguarded from frostbite and disease? (I'd assume my tree is dead, but another home gardener says the tree is likely to show new growth next year, but the blossoms will be pink instead of the original white. Also, only one of my five dogwoods appeared to die after this year's early frost, so I'm not sure if the cause was the frost or a disease.)
Dogwood, marginal leaf scorch	We had a good-sized red dogwood planted in our front lawn last spring. We felt that it had survived the winter in fair shape and it had a good number of pretty blossoms last month. However, it does not look like a healthy tree now inasmuch as the leaves are curling in a cupped fashion and the edges are getting brown. We are eager to have the tree do well. Several years ago we had a smaller white dogwood planted and had the same experience. It bloomed nicely, then began to lose leaves throughout the summer and did not survive winter.
Dogwood, no blooms	My pink Dogwood bloomed the first year, but for two years now, no buds and no flowers. I have it planted facing the east, and the house shades it part of the morning and the enclosed patio shades it after noon. It's starting to leaf out, so it is not dying and it does look healthy. What am I doing wrong, or what can I do to make it bloom?
Dogwood, planting	I have lost my two dogwood trees I planted last fall. They were planted on the west side of the house next to a wooded lot. They both leafed out this spring, the first one died and was replaced. The replacement also died. The second one bloomed then died. I would like to replace them again this fall, in the same location, if possible. I am wondering if the soil is the cause of the problem. The tree that was replaced this spring was planted in a spot that had previously had a large tree removed for construction of our home. This was a wooded lot. Please advise if it's feasible to plant this fall in the same spot. We have planted other trees and shrubs last fall and they seem to be doing OK. Any advice you can offer would be appreciated.
Dracaena, pruning	My Dracaena plant has grown almost to the roof, and has now started to bend over and is growing down. It has all green leaves mostly just near the top, and the stem is woody and bare. Can I cut it back? Please let me know because I didn’t know that a cactus could get this tall.
Drip irrigation	When using a soaker hose to water roses, how long should you leave it on for adequate watering?
Drought, fall watering	It is so dry this fall, that I am concerned about the few trees, rose bushes and perennials I have. Should I be continuing to water them or will it be too little, too late?
Dutch elm disease	We are growing in our yard American elm trees. They have over the past year leafed out, then droop and lose their leaves and die. We are told it is Dutch elm disease. What is the cure, if any? We need help! We have approximately 25 elms on our lot and have lost 5 trees this summer.
Dwarf Alberta spruce	I received a decorated dwarf Alberta Spruce as a holiday gift. It makes a perfect little Christmas tree! What do I need to do to keep it alive so I can re-use it next year?
Dwarf Alberta spruce cultivation	I received a dwarf Alberta Spruce as a holiday gift, fully decorated and even sprayed with frosting. It makes a perfect little Christmas tree! What do I need to do to keep it alive so I can re-use it again next year.
Dwarf Alberta spruce, brown spots	I have two Dwarf Alberta spruce planted by the garage that have suddenly developed large brown areas on the side facing the driveway just since the cold weather began. Is there something that I can do now to make sure they grow back in the spring?
Dwarf Alberta spruce, cultivation	I received a decorated dwarf Alberta Spruce as a holiday gift. It makes a perfect little Christmas tree! What do I need to do to keep it alive so I can re-use it next year?
Dwarf Alberta spruce, insects	Recently I noticed that a lower portion of one of my matching foundation plants (Dwarf Alberta Spruce) had a large dead spot close to the ground. After close inspection I saw many bagworms! I picked them all off, but I didn't detect any movement inside so I guess the insect (or whatever) was dead. I had some Orthene liquid on hand and it indicated it could be used on bagworms. I mixed a spray and applied to both trees although I only saw bagworms on one. My question is: will this work to stop future bagworms or should I spray it again? These mature foundation plants are very expensive and I'd hate to lose one. Will the dead portion ever regrow?
Dwarf conifers, anti dessicants	Over the last few years I have purchased a number of dwarf conifers. I recently planted some and am wondering if I should spray them with an anti-desiccant this winter? I have never done this and would like to know if there are advantages to doing this, how it should be done, and when. Thanks for any help you might provide.
Dwarf Japanese maple, leaf color	I have a dwarf Japanese maple planted in a shady spot on the north side of my home. The tree appears to be healthy and growing, but the leaves are now green, instead of the deep red that they used to be. What can I do to return the tree to the beautiful red leaves?
Dwarf Mugo pine, pine needle scale	In the front yard of my home we have had planted for 4 to 5 years two dwarf Mugo pines. Until this past year they have thrived. One of the bushes has been infected with a small white scale-like blight. The white scales line up the needles on a branch. They seem to spread rapidly from needle to needle. We have sprayed the plant but have not corrected the problem. We would appreciate any suggestions as we do not expect the plants to survive without help.
Dwarf Mugo pine, pine needle scale	I have a seven year old Dwarf Mugo Pine that, over the past winter, has developed a silvery tint on the needles in one area of the plant. The plant itself is approximately three feet in diameter and perhaps 12 to 14 inches in height. The tainted area is located on the South side of the plant and covers an area of approximately 20% of the plant. I would like to know what it is and the name of the material required to cause a cure.
Dwarf Mugo pines, pine needle scale	In the front yard of my home we have had planted for 4 to 5 years two dwarf Mugo pines. Until this past year they have thrived. One of the bushes has been infected with a small white scale-like blight. The white scales line up the needles on a branch. They seem to spread rapidly from needle to needle. We have sprayed the plant but have not corrected the problem. We would appreciate any suggestions as we do not expect the plants to survive without help.
Dwarf mugo pines, scale	I have dwarf mugo pines at my front steps and consistently have scale on one. I've sprayed for years in the spring and summer, but it is always difficult to control. Last year I finally applied Volck oil sometime in the fall. Guess what? This year I've had almost no problem! I don't recall just when I sprayed last year, but it seemed to work. When should I reapply the Volck spray. The directions just say "in the fall."
Dwarf orang trees, leaf drop	I have two dwarf orange trees that have been losing leaves continuously since I brought them indoors in mid-November. They get plenty of light and I’m careful not to overwater. Do you know what the problem might be? Should I be feeding them now?
Dwarf spirea, pruning	Is now the time to prune back my dwarf spiraea?
Dwarf weigela, transplanting, pruning	I have 2 dwarf variegated Weigela bushes that are by the south end of the house and are shaded by a large oak tree. I don't think they are getting enough sun, am I right? Would they do better at the east side of the house where they would get a lot of sun? They are about 3 years old and have never bloomed much, and they are looking very straggly down towards the ground. When should them be moved, and how does one prune them? I would really like to just let them grow their natural way, but can't where they are.
Earth stars, cultivation	I have an Earth star with a new shoot of leaves growing off on a long stem. Also, what can I do to restore the pink coloring that has faded from the leaves.
Earthworms	How can I incorporate earthworms in my lawn, and especially the flower beds? When making the flower beds I did not see one earthworm and the soil is poor and very compact.
Earthworms, tilling	I have a question about earthworms. When I dig in my garden, I always seem to chop up some worms, so wouldn't roto-tilling chop up so many more earthworms? How many times should I roto-till in the spring?
Easter Lilies	I received an Easter Lily for a gift and was wondering if they can be planted outside? My neighbor tells me this is so.
Easter lilies, planting	I have purchased Easter Lilies this year and I want to plant them outside. First of all, are the Easter Lilies like the cactus lilies that come up every year on their own? When should you plant the Easter lilies? Should you go ahead and plant them with the blooms on them or wait until the blooms die off?
Easter lily	What can I do with my Easter Lily now that it has finished blooming?
Eastern redbud	My husband and I planted an Eastern Redbud in our front yard, which faces the east. We planted the tree two years ago. Last year the tree only had a few flowers but this year the tree bloomed more. What would you recommend in regards to fertilizing? Also, last year the tree has shoots growing from the root area. We want to prune these shoots but we are afraid pruning may hurt the tree. Any suggestions?
Eastern redbud, fruit pod color	I’ve been noticing some redbuds this year with really red fruit right now. Any ideas why that you know of? My mother in law is concerned about her tree because its fruit is red for the first time that she can ever remember. I was wondering if it had anything to do with stress?
Eastern redcedar	I have been looking for an Eastern Red Cedar to plant in my yard but can't seem to find one. This is a common native tree that nurseries don't seem to carry. They do have other upright junipers but not this native one. The reason I want this one is to attract more birds to my yard and I don't know if these other species will do that or not. Do you know where I can get the tree I want or if these other trees will attract birds like the one I want?
Eastern redcedar, propagation	I have a cedar tree, common to the type found growing throughout east central Illinois, that has to be removed. I hate to do this because my late father and I transplanted it about 20 years ago from the place he was born at. Is there any way I could start a seedling from the tree before cutting it down? I've never noticed anything remotely resembling seeds on the tree.
Eastern tent caterpillar, Purple leaf sandcherry	Please tell me how to control the worms on my Purple leaf sand cherry? They spin this white web and eat the leaves every spring.
Edward Goucher abelia, pruning	I put some Edward Goucher abelia shrubs in last spring and they did well, flowering all summer. Should have I cut them back in the fall? They are coming up from the bottom and on a few of the branches but there are a lot of dead branches still on them. Any suggestions? Should I cut the dead branches off?
Eggplant	I purchased seeds for "eggplants" (not vegetables) that can be houseplants "in sunny windows" and grow to be 12 inches tall and produce eggs! I have twelve pots that are doing fairly well, getting morning sun in an enclosed area. Are you familiar with these? I am tempted to leave them as houseplants but wonder how they would do in our Missouri summer sun.
Eggplant, harvesting	I cannot find my reference and need to know where to cut along the stem to harvest my eggplant? I have heard that depending on the growers goal, where you cut determines if it continues fruiting during summer or to stop fruiting as the season closes, ripening fruit still on the plant.
Eggplant, insects, flea beetle	How can I keep insects or whatever from eating the leaves on my egg plants and when should I start? Last year I used a powder and the leaves turned to "lace" but I did get some of the plants to produce.
Eggshells	I would like to know if clean dried egg shells rolled in little pieces are of any value to house or outside plants?
Eggshells, compost	I would like to know if clean dried egg shells rolled in little pieces are of any value to house or outside plants?
Eggshells, soil amendment	I would like to know if clean dried egg shells crumbled in little pieces are of any value to house plants?
Elderberries, cultivation	I would like to grow an elderberry but was told that I needed more than one to get fruit. Are there male and female plants? Also, I hear that they sucker badly. Will that be a problem? Can I grow them in clay soil?
Elephant ear	I have a question regarding 2 very large elephant ear plants that we’ve had for several years that we put out in summertime and bring in and winter in my garage in wintertime. They have grown rather large over the years, but at the bottom there’s a very gnarly, unattractive area and I’m wondering if I should cut them back to repot them, or how I should repot them since they are no longer attractive.
Elephant ear	I was visiting family in Louisiana recently and in my uncle's garden he was growing elephant-ears. However, they weren't like the ones that I have always seen, first because they were so huge, and secondly, because the tips on his leaves pointed up. The ones I know, the leaf tips always face down. Have you ever heard of anything like this before?
Elephant ear	I have a question regarding two elephant ear plants that we’ve had for several years that we put out in summertime and bring in and winter in my garage in wintertime. They have grown rather large over the years and have been in pots for about four years and have never been cut back, resulting in a very gnarly, unattractive area at the bottom. I’m wondering if I should cut them back to repot them, or how I should repot them since they are no longer attractive.
Elephant ear	I have a question regarding 2 very large elephant ear plants that we’ve had for several years that we put out in summertime and bring in and winter in my garage in wintertime. They have grown rather large over the years, but at the bottom there’s a very gnarly, unattractive area and I’m wondering if I should cut them back to repot them, or how I should repot them since they are no longer attractive.
Elephant ear	Someone gave me an elephant Ear bulb. Since I don't know it's correct name I can't find any information on planting it ( sun or shade). Can you help me? I thought perhaps it's a type of caladium. It is very big.
Elephant ear	I was visiting family in Louisiana recently and in my uncle's garden he was growing elephant-ears. However, they weren't like the ones that I have always seen, first because they were so huge, and secondly, because the tips on his leaves pointed up. All the ones that I know, the leaf tips always face down. Have you ever heard of anything like this before?
Elm tree disease	I have a mature elm tree, about 2 feet in diameter, that is in a berm with 5 other elms and a number of other trees and plants. I fear that it is either dead or "sick". Late this summer it lost its leaves before any other trees in our heavily wooded area. A month or so ago it also started to lose its bark in the higher branches, exposing reddish colored bark. It has also developed some long vertical cracks in its bark that completely expose the hardwood. And the woodpeckers have started to constantly peck at this tree. Does it sound like it's beyond help? Should we have it removed immediately or see if it might refoliate this spring?
English ivy	I am going to plant English Ivy on a grassy hill to eliminate mowing. Should I use the black landscape fabric and put it down first? Will this fabric prevent the ivy from spreading? If the fabric should not be used, any suggestions on preventing weed and grass growth would be appreciated. In addition, how far apart should ivy be planted?
English Ivy control	How do i get rid of English Ivy that is creeping into my lawn. It is coming from a foundation bed and I don't want to kill all of it there.
English Ivy, fruiting	I have something happening with my Baltic Ivy that I've never seen before. Twenty-five years ago it was planted at the base of my sycamore tree from cuttings received from a friend. Over the years it has climbed the trunk and now this spring I notice that it is covered with all these black berries. That isn't all. Last summer it flowered for the first time, but had no berries. What's going on with my ivy? It's never done this before.
English Ivy, groundcovers	On the north side of our house we have some small yews. Historically we used dark oak mulch, but now English Ivy is growing and flourishing around these plants. Will the ivy in any way hurt the yews?
English Ivy, Hens & Chicks fire injury	We had an accidental brush fire in our front yard where autumn leaves caught fire and burned several ground cover perennials, including English ivy and hens-and-chicks. Do you think they have been killed, or will they grow back again?
English ivy, Moss control	Last spring I planted ivy vines on a terrace. Now the bottom part of the terrace is moss covered. What can I do to remove the moss, or will it not interfere or kill the ivy?
English ivy, pruning	I have an older English ivy bed that has several areas that appear dead. What is the best way to remedy this situation?
English ivy, removal, control	I have 2 big pin oak trees in front of my house. They are about 35 years old. I have English ivy crawling up the trunks. I noticed last fall the leaves on the pin oaks were a pale green. Do you think the ivy is the cause? How can I get rid of the ivy?
English walnut	Recently, our English walnut seemed to have died. However, now it seems to have some growth on the branches approximately halfway up the tree. Is there any hope for this tree or would it be better to have it cut down? Do you have any idea why a seemingly healthy walnut last summer would suddenly die?
Epimedium	I grew epimediums in my garden last year for the first time. Please tell me when is the best time to cut them back?
Epimediums	I grew epimediums in my garden last year for the first time. Please tell me when is the best time to cut them back?
Epimediums	I grew epimediums in my garden last year for the first time. Please tell me when is the best time to cut them back?
Episcia	Hi, C. Wolf said we should write to you about a plant I received as a gift. The plant is called Epicisa and I need to know how to care for it. Any info you can give me will be helpful.
Epsom salts	I heard that epsom salts and iron sulfate were good for rhododendron plants. Is this true? And if so, where do I purchase these, how do I apply them, when, and what strength?
Eucalyptus, fragrance	I was given a swag at Christmas to place behind my couch. It includes a combination of dried and artificial plant material. One of the ingredients is eucalyptus, but I find the scent too potent. Do you know of any way to reduce the intensity of the scent without removing the eucalyptus, which would destroy the symmetry of the swag?
Euonymous	We have Euonymous growing all over a fallen fence. Can we just pull the Euonymous off and replace the fence without hurting the vine?
Euonymous, hard pruning	We have Euonymous growing all over a fallen fence. Can we just pull the Euonymous off and replace the fence without hurting the vine?
Euonymous, scale	I have several erunmyous (spelling ?) shrubs in the front of my house. The have little white dots on the leaves and it is killing my shrubs. Are these called aphids? Or, something else? I purchased a yard and garden pest spray from Franks that I have to dilute with water and put in a spayer. How often should these be sprayed? Or is there something else that would be better to spray onto these shrubs?
Euonymus alatus, mites	I have a Euonymus shrub. I have had it for a few years, but now the leaves are drying up and the branches appear to have a white speckled coating on them. Any suggestions?
Euonymus, scale	I can't kill the scale on my Euonymus bushes. Please help.
European Tricolor beech tree	Can you give me some information on a European Tricolor Beech tree?
Euryops daisy tree, cultivation	I received a Euryops daisy tree as a gift recently, but it is a plant that I cannot find any information on in any of my gardening books. Can you tell me anything about its care and hardiness?
Euryops pectinatus 'Vindis', cultivation	ONE IS TAGGED AS VIRIDIS -- EUOYOPS PATIO ,IT IS LIKE A DAISY TREE ABOUT 4T TALL,WITH GREEN FOLIAGE ONLY AT THETOP OF PLANT WITH LONG STEMS YELLOW DAISY FLOWERS, TRUNK IS ABOUT 2 INCHES THICK AND 3 FT TALL WITH FOLIAGE AND DAISY AT TOP ONLY, receiv ed your info for euryops pectinatus viridis on how to plant . bought two plants of subject flowers . bought one and planted it two weeks ago, bought another one and planted it three days later. both were planted in like pots , same soil, same location. plant one iis thriving and doing well, plant two is wilting and leaves getting curled and turning brown. could it be that when planting plant two it was cooler and rainy and didnt get as much sun as plant one? both plants were purchashed at lowes. since i cant locate another, would it be posible that you could tell me a way or provide a recipe to make to revive plant two. its my grand-daughters plant and I don’t want to lose it!
Euryops, daisy tree, cultivation	I received a Euryops daisy tree as a gift recently, but it is a plant that I cannot find any information on in any of my gardening books. Can you tell me anything about its care and hardiness?
Evening primrose	Can you identify the attached picture? I thought it was Missouri Evening Primrose, however it blooms during the day and folds up in the evening. It is quite prolific, spreading to almost weed proportions.
Everblooming honeysuckle vine	I would like to know what happened to my everblooming Honeysuckle (Lonicera heckrottii)? It bloomed for a short period and then the blooms shriveled and turned black. My neighbors honeysuckle did the same thing. I haven't seen any bugs. The plant itself looks healthy enough. It's supposed to be immune to this. Can you give a hint as to the cause?
Evergreen broadleaf trees	I am looking for a source of information to tell me which broadleaf trees will hold their leaves and function as a good screen during the winter. I am working with a neighbor to create a visual screen between our houses. It is a partially wooded area. So far we have put in several needled evergreens - hemlocks and some Norway spruce. Now we would like to find some broadleaf trees to intersperse with these for variety and color. I have a Hilliers Tree and Shrub book that tells me just about everything you would ever want to know - except this. Do you have any recommendations?
Evergreen privacy screens, clay soils	I live in a subdivision with houses right behind, and close beside me. I would like to plant a privacy screen. My soil is a heavy clay, well drained soil. I would appreciate any ideas you might have.
Fertilizer	I have several containers on my patio. They looked gorgeous for a month after planting. They are in full sun and I used a popular brand-name potting soil. It is time to fertilize, so what numbers should be on the fertilizer to promote flowering? As far as watering is concerned, when is the best time and do you soak or lightly water once or twice a day? Any helpful hints I would appreciate. I have geraniums, petunias, verbena, and artemisia.
Fertilizer burn	Two weeks ago I fertilized my outdoor plants with a dry 12-12-12 fertilizer. I got it on the leaves of my hostas and they are turning yellow and dry. I also got it on the leaves of my red burning bushes. Most of the leaves have fallen off, yet much of the same plant remains fine. Are my hostas and burning bushes dead or will they revive? What is the correct way to fertilize?
Fertilizer, hostas, burning bush	Two weeks ago I fertilized my outdoor plants with a dry 12-12-12 fertilizer. I got it on the leaves of my hostas and they are turning yellow and dry. I also got it on the leaves of my red burning bushes. Most of the leaves have fallen off, yet much of the same plant remains fine. Are my hostas and burning bushes dead or will they revive? What is the correct way to fertilize?
Fescues	I need to find a good sod type for the backyard. The dirt has a high clay content and I need it for places on slopes that have runoff gullies. I live next to a forest, and there are several mature oaks and hickories keeping it shaded most of the day. It gets maybe 1-2 hours of sunlight a day. I think I need a tall fescue, maybe a turf type?
Fetterbush, habit	Can you tell me when is the best time to prune my evergreen Fetterbush? It has been spindly since I planted it and I would like to make it grow more bushy.
Ficus	I am hoping you can advise me about a sick ficus tree we have here in our office. The leaves turn yellow and fall off in a week or so. There is also another one on the other side of the room and it seems to be very healthy. I looked for insects that would do harm but I don't see any. This tree is around 15 years old and was always healthy and produced big green leaves. I don't know what has happened.
Ficus benjamina, insects	I have two Ficus benjamina trees both of which exude a sap from the leaves. The sap makes the floor under/around the plant sticky. What is the cause of this sap? Is this a bacterial infection, over watering or what?
Ficus benjamina, root prune	My Ficus benjamina, which I estimate is at least 15 years old keeps needing to be repotted about every six months. I suspect it is pot bound again as it continues to produce new leaves and drops older ones. I now have it in a pot that is approximately 17" in diameter and don't want to put it in a larger pot. Is there any way I can keep it at its present size but have it continue to flourish as it has been?
Ficus tree, pruning, propagation	I have a Ficus tree that is about to overtake the room in which I keep it. I would like to trim it back. Is it possible to take the branches I cut off and root them in some manner to start new growth? This is an extremely healthy and full tree. It seems a shame to just throw out the branches.
Ficus, dividing	I have a clump ficus plant that I would like to divide, braid and hopefully grow into ficus trees; however, I do not know if there is a specific approach to braiding the stems. There are approximately 20 stems in the clump, each stem 1/4" to 1/2" in diameter, and stand approximately 2' tall.
Ficus, pruning	I have a Ficus tree that is about to overtake the room in which I keep it. I would like to trim it back. Is it possible to take the branches I cut off and root them in some manner to start new growth? This is an extremely healthy and full tree. It seems a shame to just throw out the branches.
Ficus, scale	Recently you wrote about ficus in your column. You mentioned scale as a common problem, but did not mention a remedy. My ficus has scale, and the local nursery advised me to get rid of it and try again rather than use the insecticidal soap. What do you think I could do to save this tree?
Field dodder	Please offer suggestions to help eliminate an unknown plant. It is a very thin spaghetti-like yellow vine that twists like clematis. It has no leaves, but greenish-white tiny ball-like structures that I think are blooms. It is trying to smother our bed of wave petunias. It is very fast growing with no apparent root system. Thank you for any assistance. Our church Beautification Committee will greatly appreciate your help.
Fig tree	We have a small fig tree that has survived at least seven years of indoor living. One spring, it looked sickly and we were ready to get rid of it, put it outside on the way to the trash, when it suddenly pepped up and has been pretty good ever since. That experience taught us to put it outside every summer, and it seemed to thrive. This summer it grew more than ever and became very thick with leaves. However, when we brought it inside when cold weather began, it shed leaves and became sparse. Every day, more leaves yellow and fall, and the branches can be seen plainly amongst the remaining leaves. What have we done, or better still, what should we do?
Fig tree, frost damage	We have a houseplant that was caught outside during a recent frost. I do not know what type of tree it is, but please allow me to describe it as best as possible. It is planted in a container of approximately 15 gallons in size, and stands approximately five feet above ground level and consists of three trunks which are interwoven (braided). Each trunk is approximately 1.5 " in diameter. The leaves hang perpendicular to the ground and average a width of 1 inch, a length of 6 inches, and are pointed at the end, with the edges of the leaves smooth. Now the leaves are brown and yellow brown with just a hint of green on only a few. The question is, is this tree dead, or in a state of dormancy?
Fir tree, ugly mix	Last winter just before the holidays, vandals entered my property and cut down a beautiful 15 foot white pine tree, presumably to use as their Christmas tree. I’ve heard that there is a spray that you can put on your trees to make them less attractive. Do you know anything about such a product?
Fire damage	We had an accidental brush fire in our front yard where autumn leaves caught fire and burned several ground cover perennials, including English ivy and hens-and-chicks. Do you think they have been killed, or will they grow back again?
Firecracker flower, pruning	I have a firecracker plant that I received as a gift several years ago. It's lost some leaves this winter and the stems have gotten quite long, but is still producing flowers. Can these be cut back, and if so, when is the best time?
Firecracker flower, pruning	I have a firecracker plant that I received as a gift several years ago. It's lost some leaves this winter and the stems have gotten quite long, but is still producing flowers. Can these be cut back, and if so, when is the best time?
Firethorn, pruning	We moved to a house where the previous owner rarely did any pruning. There is a large 15 foot Firethorn that is badly overgrown. What is the best way to cut it back, and when should this be done?
Firethorn, pruning	We moved to a house where the previous owner apparently never did any pruning. There is a large 15 foot Firethorn that is very overgrown. What is the best way to cut it back, and when should this be done?
Flame violet	I would like some help in identifying a potted house plant that was given to me several years ago. I was told that its common name is "Chocolate Soldier". It appears to be from the violet family because of its fuzzy foliage, but the pointed, green leaves are large and edged in brown shading (thus the 'chocolate' in its name). The foliage likes to droop down over the side of the pot, and it sends out runners. The blooms are small, bright red and trumpet shaped. I would like to know its proper botanical name and common name if different than the one I was told, and also more information about its care and feeding.
Flamingo flowers, cultivation	I received a Flamingo flower for a gift but have no idea how to care for it as there are no instructions. Can you please help?
Flamingo, Anthurium	I received a Flamingo flower for a gift but have no idea how to care for it as there are no instructions. Can you please help?
Floribunda roses, pruning	Could you please tell me the correct time to cut back roses, in particular, "Nearly Wild"? How far back?
Flowering almond disease, insects	I have a flowering almond bush that blooms beautifully every spring. After blooming some of the branches wilt and die. What is the problem?
Flowering almond, fungus, borers	I have a flowering almond bush that blooms beautifully each spring. After blooming some of the branches wilt and die. What is the problem?
Flowering cherry, Higan cherry	A friend told me that there is a Flowering cherry that blooms four times a year. Can you tell me how I would find out more about it?
Flowering crabapple, disease	I have a 30 year old ornamental flowering crab tree that drops leaves with brown spots from late spring thru summer. I have sprayed up to 5 times every 2 3 weeks with several recommended sprays, but to no avail. Is there a surefire spray available or is the tree just "terminally" ill and need replacement?
Flowering dogwood	We have a three-inch diameter pink dogwood that bloomed the first year we planted it but has not bloomed since. It's located under a canopy of huge oak trees with the closest 12-15 feet away. I've fertilized it with azalea and rhododendron fertilizer for acid plants. It looks healthy but hasn't bloomed in the last two years. We did water last year so I don't think it's been damaged by the drought. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Flowering dogwood	I have a flowering dogwood that we planted 3 years ago. I was looking at this tree the other day and noticed there are no flower buds on any of the branches. Does this mean it won’t bloom this year? It’s planted near a wooded area and receives morning sun with afternoon shade.
Flowering dogwood	I have two dogwood trees, This year they did not bloom as much as they did last year. Is that due to the lack of rain last year? Should I make more or a point of being sure they are watered. Should they be fertilized?
Flowering dogwood	I planted a Flowering dogwood tree three years ago. The first year it bloomed beautifully. However, last year and this, it has failed to bloom. It appears otherwise healthy with no evidence of insect or environmental damage. I am at a loss to understand why it has refused to bloom!
Flowering plums, cultivation, disease	I have 7 flowering plums that were planted along the west side of our property in the fall of 1993. They have done well until this year when one suddenly had all of its leaves droop, dry up and drop off about 2 weeks ago. I was told to water 3 times a week and it was thought a second foliage would start. So far nothing. Any thoughts on what to expect of this tree? Also, several have a bark-like or woody growth over some limbs and it appears to be killing off some but not all of the limbs. What should I do about these growths?
Flowering quince, fungus	We have a flowering quince hedge six bushes that are ten-plus years old. Each spring they produce flowers and beautiful thick leaves. Around the mid-to-end of June some leaves begin to fall, others yellow and fall. Ultimately more than half the leaves are lost. Attention to moisture and fertilizer does not seem to prevent the leaf drop. Would appreciate your comments and suggestions to solve this condition?
Flowering quince, leaf spot disease	We have a flowering quince hedge six bushes that are ten-plus years old. Each spring they produce flowers and beautiful thick leaves. Around the mid to end of June some leaves begin to fall, others yellow, then fall. Ultimately more than half the leaves fall off. Attention to moisture and fertilizer does not seem to prevent the leaf loss. Would appreciate your comments and suggestions to solve this condition so it won’t occur again next spring.
Flowering shrubs	What would you recommend in a spot in the garden that receives about 4 5 hours of sun (9:30am 3:30pm) per day. I would like a late summer flowering bush that grows 4 5 feet. Do you think a rose of Sharon might work?
Flowering shrubs, drought tolerant	I live in a condominium complex where we have both a lot of trees and open areas. What flowering shrubs would do well on condo grounds where there is little access to watering? I know you are probably going to recommend native plants to St. Louis which is fine. But can you provide a list of 5 - 10 plants maybe including a couple of different or non-native plants? Which ones would require no watering and which ones would need a little during the drought summer months. Probably we could plant some around the pool that has access to a pool hose we could use but other areas would be hard to get to. I don't mean small flowers but bushes that flower. Rhododendrons and azaleas flower, but they require frequent watering.
Flowering shrubs, pruning	In the last 2 years I have planted many flowering bushes. Included are snowball, lilac, crape myrtle, mock orange and Miss Kim lilac. I would like to determine the appropriate trimming schedule to enhance the shape and maximize the blooms. Should the shrubs be trimmed only after the blooms fade and then allowed to grow for the remainder of the growing season?
Flowering trees	We lost a beautiful Bradford Pear tree in a recent storm. The arborist who removed the tree said that Bradford pears were prone to breakage and advised us to select another type of tree for a replacement. We need the tree to shade the screened porch from direct late afternoon western sun. It will be fairly close to the porch and house so shouldn't grow too tall or wide. I am partial to flowering trees, or at least sweet-smelling! We considered a Kousa dogwood or an Amur maple. Any suggestions for a tree that would do well in this climate, provide light shade (soon!) and be beautiful?
Flowering trees, shrubs	We lost a beautiful Bradford Pear tree in one of the recent wind storms. The arborist who removed the tree said that Bradford pears were prone to breakage and advised us to select another species for replacement. We need the tree to shade the screened porch from direct late afternoon western sun. It will be fairly close to the porch and house so shouldn't grow too tall or wide. I am partial to flowering trees, or at least sweet-smelling! We considered a Kousa dogwood or an Amur maple. Any suggestions for a species that would do well in this climate, provide light shade (soon!) and be beautiful?
Flowering vines	I have a flower bed that runs along the north border of our lot. I would like to add some height to this bed without planting a tree. I'm thinking of adding a six-foot trellis. Could you recommend a cimbing, flowering vine that would flourish in a mostly shaded spot where it only receives 2-3 hours of full noonday sun and another 2-3 hours of dappled shade? The bed is new and still has some clay. Drainage is fair. I expect the soil to improve over the years as we add leaf mulch every fall and spring.
Flowering vines	Can you recommend a flowering vine that will do well in partial sun? Trumpet vine produces lots of foliage but no flowers. I need this for a beautiful trellis on the west side of my house.
Flowering vines, cultivation	I planted moon flower and hyacinth bean vine seeds to cover trellises to provide shade on my west facing sun porch. They covered the trellises with vigor but no flowers. What is wrong and also they have alot of little round holes in the leaves but I cannot see what is eating them. Should I try clematis next year instead?
Flowering vines, woodland shade garden	I live in mid Missouri and was wondering what type of flowering vine might grow best in a woodland shade garden? I have just recently built an arbor and am anxious to plant a climber on it. Also, should I plant this fall or wait until spring?
Forsythia	Can you tell me why our Forsythia does not bloom? We bought a bundle of seedlings nine years ago and planted them in a hedge, about four feet apart. They are now tall and have grown together, but only have very few yellow blooms. This spring there are buds, but they open into leaves, not flowers. We live in a valley, but have friends just a few miles away, and their Forsythia is beautiful.
Forsythia, forced blooming	Last winter I attended a party where the hostess had cut some branches from a forsythia bush and got them to flower indoors. I would like to try doing this myself. What can I do to get blooms?
Forsythia, forced cuttings	Last winter I attended a party where the hostess had cut some branches from a Forsythia bush and got them to flower indoors. I would like to try doing this myself. What can I do to get blooms?
Forsythia, indoor forcing	A couple of weeks ago I cut some Forsythia branches to force indoors in a vase of water. However, the flower buds all shriveled up and turned black. Oddly enough, though, some leaves began to grow. Do you know what caused this and what should I do in the future to prevent it from happening again?
Forsythia, Lilac, pruning	When do I prune my Forsythia and Lilac, and how much? I've heard conflicting stories: the flowers only grow on new growth, they only grow on last year's growth, they only grow on the neighbor's bush, etc. Do I cut back to old wood, or just trim the new shoots to keep them controlled? The bush is about 10 feet tall, and the new shoots are about 3 feet beyond that, so it definitely needs a haircut. When and how much? And the same for the lilac, except it's only about 7 feet with 2 feet of new shoots.
Forsythia, Weigela pruning	My mother has several bushes that have not been trimmed for a number of years. The dead branches are out, but we would like to reduce the overall size of the forsythia and the weigela. Should we prune them back rather drastically this fall, should we wait until the spring before they bloom, or wait until after they have bloomed?
Foxglove, yellowing	What causes the leaves and flower stalk of Foxglove to turn yellow? Do I cut the flower stalk off after flowering? This is my first time growing this plant.
Frangipani culture	I have a frangipani plant and I would like instructions on how to care for it?
Fringtree, cultivation	I am looking for information on the plant known as the Fringetree. How to grow it, what I need to do and what month these tasks should be performed?
Fruit tree pruning	My aunt has a purple plum tree and a flowering cherry tree. She would like to know at what time of the year should she prune these two trees and to what degree does she need to prune them.
Fuchsia	Could you please tell me how to overwinter my Fuchsia plants?
Fuchsia, cultivation	Could you please tell me how to overwinter my Fuchsia plants?
Fuchsias, overwintering	Could you please tell me how to overwinter my Fuchsia plants?
Fungus gnats	I want to know how to get rid of gnats infesting plants on screened porch. think they may have been in miracle grow container mix but are heavily infesting impatiens.
Fungus gnats, control	We are having trouble with our indoor plants being breeding grounds for flies, etc. We started them using regular compost and top soil. We are using a protective moss to cover the surface of the pots. We are totally against using pesticides. Could you please suggest some natural, organic way of solving the problem? We have upwards of 20 such indoor plants.
Fungus, puffballs, control	Two years ago I noticed in the lawn these dark brown to black fungus balls. Last winter I dug up the biggest one which was about five inches in diameter. I dug a hole around it about one food in diameter, hoping to get all of the growth. I then filled the hole with top soil and thought I had solved my problem. Surprise, this fall five new spots appeared, all within five feet of the original. How can I get rid of this stuff as it is spreading? I have a big vegetable garden nearby, but haven’t seen any in it yet.
Garden worms	We want to add some worms to our garden and compost pile, but I got to thinking: are there any exotic worms (as from bait shops) that we should avoid? I was going to get red wigglers--would they be o.k.?
Gardenia	Can you tell me about my gardenia? I was out of town and the house sitter forgot to water it. All the leaves dried up and died. These had to be picked off, and now I'm worried it may not come back.
Gardenia	What's the most recommended food for gardenias? I have been feeding mine periodically with a popular brand. Is this sufficient? If not please tell me what else I can use.
Gardenia	Can you tell me about my gardenia? I was out of town and my husband forgot to water it and now most of the leaves have dried up and died. I’ve picked these off, but am worried it may not come back.
Gardenia	I have a gardenia that looks healthy, lots of shiny, dark green foliage, gets lots of buds. but the buds fall off before they bloom. what am I doing wrong?
Gardenia	My gardenia has a pattern of budding up well but just before the buds open up, they fall off. I have heard that the temperature has to be just right for them to bloom and that they are so temperamental that they require a greenhouse to get blooms. My neighbors plant seems to be always in bloom and doesn’t get any better care.
Gardenia	I have a beautiful gardenia in a planter. It has bloomed several times this summer and grown sigificantly. Can it be planted in the yard and cut back for winter, or brought inside? If it has to be brought inside how should it be managed for the winter?
Gardenia	Last year about Labor Day my Gardenia started to wilt and I was advised the plant needed some acid fertilizer. I fertilized and the plant barely survived. This year with no change in atmosphere, outside sun, and daily watering, the very healthy plant just up and died. It had been giving very nice flowers until its' demise. Any suggestions or causes?
Gardenia	Can you tell me about my gardenia? I was out of town and the house sitter forgot to water it. All the leaves dried up and died. These had to be picked off, and now I'm worried it may not come back.
Gardenia	Can you tell me about my gardenia? I was out of town and the house sitter forgot to water it. All the leaves dried up and died. These had to be picked off, and now I'm worried it may not come back.
Gardenia, cultivation	What am I doing wrong? My gardenia plant finally gets a bud, but then it sags and droops, withers and never opens. Some leaves are brown on the edges, but not all. Am I watering too much or not enough? Should I be fertilizing?
Gardenia, pruning, cultivation	I have a gardenia that is about 4 feet tall and almost as big around. Can I cut it back now before I take it inside? It's gotten too big this summer.
Gardening uder trees	I have a long flower bed with a concrete porch on one side and railroad ties on the other. We have large elm, sweet gum and sugarberry trees on the east and south, and their roots grow into the flower bed. Some years I've dug a bushel basket of them out. The past two years I put flower pots in the ground thinking the roots would not get into them. Alas they have! I want to put petunias in that space this year. Can you help me with this?
Garlic	I planted forty pieces of garlic on August 26, but only six came up. Did I plant too deep, or did I plant too early? When is the best time to plant, and how deep should it be? My soil is very loose, could that be my problem?
Garlic	How can I keep my garlic without it sprouting the next year? I generally have 100 or more bulbs each year and now most of them have sprouted and are getting soft.
Garlic	I have several pots of garlic that I received from a friend in Florida. They had beautiful purple blooms most of the summer. I moved them indoors before frost because she said they probably were not hardy here. My question is, do you have any suggestion to get rid of the smell? They give off a very strong scent of garlic that I find overwhelming.
Garlic, cultivation	I have several questions about garlic. When do you plant cloves? Can you plant garlic from the supermarket or should I get a special brand? Is elephant garlic as efficient as regular garlic? What's the best soil and how deep to plant?
Garlic, cultivation	I have several questions about garlic. When do you plant cloves? Can you plant garlic from the supermarket or should I get a special brand? Is elephant garlic as efficient as regular garlic? What's the best soil and how deep to plant?
Garlic, cultivation, storage	How can I keep my garlic without it sprouting the next year? I generally have 100 or more bulbs each year and now most of them have sprouted and are getting soft.
Geranium	I am trying to save three geranium plants in our garage. The garage temperature doesn't get below 40 degrees. The geraniums don't look dead but they don't look perky, either. We do put light on them each day. Any suggestions regarding care?
Geranium	My geraniums look terrible this summer. Part of the flower has bloomed and is brown by the time the rest of the bloom gets going. It is not a pretty sight. I used to blame it on lack of fertilizer but my flowers are getting a lot of attention (and regular fertilizing) this year. A friend said geraniums do not like "wet feet." I keep the soil moist. Can you suggest anything?
Geranium (braided) standards	I have a braided geranium that has become just tall enough and I would like for it to branch out now. Can I just pinch the tip or do I need to cut it off?
Geranium, insects	I noticed that some insect is eating holes in the leaves of my geraniums and a large daisy plant I have in pots on my front porch. The same thing happened last year. I do see insects that look like small grasshoppers jump out of the pots when I go near to them. Is there something not harmful to the environment that I could put on my plants to stop this?
Geraniums, blooming, botrytis blight,	We have a large potted geranium with plenty of green leaves, but no blossoms. The buds start to develop, but eventually dry off. We have fertilized and watered. Why aren't we getting flowers?
Geraniums, braided	I have a braided geranium that has become just tall enough and I would like for it to branch out now. Can I just pinch the tip or do I need to cut it off?
Geraniums, budworm	Every spring I fill our flower boxes on the deck with geraniums, petunias, lobelia and other flowers. They look great until mid-july when little holes appear in every geranium bud. A small, thin green worm emerges and proceeds to devour that bud and move on to others. They first look like a tiny stem until they get bigger. This same thing occurs with the petunias in August. The little buds have a hole in them as does the flowers when they unfurl. I suspect the insect lays eggs in the buds. Can you help me identify and control this pest? I start with new planters and good potting mix each spring.
Geraniums, impatiens, overwintering	How can I bring geraniums and New Guinea Impatiens into the house to winter over and plant next spring? I know my mother used to keep geraniums over the winter but I do not remember how she did it.
Geraniums, overwintering	I have several beautiful potted geraniums. I heard they could be pulled up and let dry over winter. Could you explain how to do this method?
Geraniums, overwintering	I have heard of and tried pulling up Geraniums in the fall and storing them hung upside down for the winter but it never working for me. Maybe I did something wrong. Can you tell me what I might be doing wrong?
Geraniums, overwintering	I have a great geranium plant in a clay pot that I would like to keep alive during the winter.
Gerbera daisies, overwintering	Can I winter over Gerberas that were grown in pots all summer? They are healthy and strong plants. I would like to put them out in the garden next spring rather than do it now if that is possible.
Giant reed grass, Arundo donax	At a nearby school there is a grass growing that is approximately 30 feet tall and it looks like a corn plant, however it is not. This grass is beautiful and we call it “corn grass”. Do you know what the name of it is?
Ginkgo tree seed germination	We have a beautiful Gingko tree in our yard that drops fruit every other year. I have tried with no success to pot them in potting soil, but nothing happens. The tree has dropped about 25 fruits this fall, and I would appreciate your advice on how to get them to sprout so I can have plants to share with friends.
Ginkgo tree, propagation	We have a beautiful Ginkgo tree in our yard that drops fruit every other year. I have tried with no success to pot them in potting soil, but nothing happens. The tree has dropped about 25 fruits this fall, and I would appreciate your advice on how to get them to germinate.
Ginkgo tree, disease, injury	I have a pair of Ginkgo trees which are around 15 years old. They seem basically healthy. My question is this. In the spring upon initial leafing of the trees, the original growth seems to die back along the branches, except toward the end of the limbs. Then it takes a while for it to send out new leaves. They seem OK though, after leafing out the second time. It just sets the trees back until they can make a full term leaf. Is this common with the male ginkgo? Also is it normal for much of the limb growth to be downturned (mostly on lower branches), as opposed to upward?
Ginkgo tree, propagation	We have a beautiful Gingko tree in our yard that drops fruit every other year. I have tried with no success to pot them in potting soil, but nothing happens. The tree has dropped about 25 fruits this fall, and I would appreciate your advice on how to get them to germinate.
Ginkgo trees, male forms	We planted a ginkgo tree in our yard in the Spring of 1994. When we bought it, the nursery could not tell us if it was male or female. I've read that the female bears fruit which is malodorous. What we are wondering is how old does the tree have to be to bear fruit?
Globe locust, black locust	I purchased a Globe locust last spring. It did really well all summer, but did not come back this spring. There are however, several plants coming up around the base of the tree. The leaves look like the Locust and have reddish trunks. Am I being overly optimistic that these are actually Globe locust saplings? Do you know the Latin name for the Globe locust?
Glory bush, Princess flower, cultivation	I brought a Tibouchina in this fall and recently cut it back, but leaves haven't started to grow out yet. I loved that plant this summer and hope it survives. Can you give me any direction? It was an impulse buy at the nursery and I really don't know how to care for it.
Glory bush, Princess flower,Brazilian spiderflower	I bought a plant called Glory Bush at a local nursery, but it didn't include much care instructions. Please tell me how to care for this plant?
Gloxinias, cultivation	I received several gloxinia plants in the mail. I have watered them all according to the directions they came with. Only 2 have begun to grow and the others just sit there. What am I doing wrong?
Gold flame honeysuckle	I have a Gold Flame Honeysuckle vine that keeps getting powdery mildew. It is in an area where air circulation is not the problem. How should I treat this. The vine has so much dead on it that I'm thinking of cutting it back to the ground and letting it regrow. Is that a good idea?
Golden groove bamboo	I have a large clump of golden groove bamboo that is several years old. The canes are over 10 feet tall, but many of the leaves have turned yellow and dry. Do you think the plants have died?
Golden pothos, Epipremnum, Scindapsus	Could you tell me what's causing my Epipremnum to loose leaves. This plant has been very hearty and is a vigorous grower but in the last month has been losing leaves at a high rate (3 to 4 a week). Any help would be appreciated.
Golden privet, pruning	The Golden privet hedge in my backyard is 8 feet high with almost all the foliage at the top. What should I do to get the hedge down to a level of 4 to 5 feet? If I just cut it down to that level, will it sprout shoots that leaf out, or will a trimming that severe kill it?
Golden shrimp plant, cultivation	Would you be kind enough to let me know where I might obtain Golden Shrimp plants? I used to have two beautiful ones until I put them out along with two Hibiscus plants in the rain one day. All of the plants finally died, and I blame it on acid rain. I raised them here in my home without a greenhouse, and they were beautiful, but have not been able to find them again.
Goldenchain trees, hardiness, disease	I have this Goldenchain tree that I believe died for the lack of water. It has died down within two feet or so of the ground. The trunk is about two inches. My question is do I cut it to the ground now or do I wait until spring and see where it comes out in the spring? What do I do? It is my favorite tree and I am so upset that I didn't realise it needed water before it was so stressed out. It was a good size tree. I can see the bark is alive up to a certain height. (2 1/2') Should I cut it off at ground level now or leave it until spring? It won't be much to look at this way for sure. Do you think cutting it off will kill it completely?
Gooseberries, pruning	Please advise when and how to trim Gooseberry bushes?
Gooseberries, sources	I would like to plant a gooseberry bush in my yard. I need to know where to get them and when to plant?
Gooseberry bush, pruning	I would also appreciate advice on when and how to trim gooseberry bushes?
Gooseberry, disease	For the past two years our gooseberry bushes have developed a mildew-like growth on both berries and leaves. It clings tightly to the berries, causing damage to size and quantity. It cannot be removed by washing, only by rubbing. These bushes receive morning sun, but are shaded by an apple tree in the afternoon. Can you suggest a remedy?
Gourds	When is the proper time to harvest gourds so they will keep and not rot? Our vines are dying but the stems on the gourds are still green. Do we wait until the stems dry too? How do you recommend we preserve them? Paint them?
Goutweed, Bishop's weed	I am trying to locate some information on a ground cover that my grandmother called goutweed or ghost weed, also known as snow on the mountain. I have heard that it is fast spreading and I don't want it to get in my grass that I have worked so hard on. I have a moist area under some river birches in my yard that I would like to cover. I have some flat irregular rocks that divide my mulched area that contains my trees and my grass. The rain runs down the hill to that area so I cannot put up a taller barrier because it would cause the water to pool in the yard.
Grape hyacinth, overwintering	I have a question that my books don't seem to address and I was hoping you might have a suggestion. Recently my grape hyacinth bulbs sent up leaves but so far the flower stalk hasn't appeared. Should I treat them the same as I do in the spring or remove the leaves to protect the bulbs?
Grape vine, black rot	I have a grape vine that gave me a lot of trouble last year. It came on beautifully. I sprayed with a fungicide as the season progressed. However, the grapes still began to shrivel, turn color, and eventually dropped off. I did not get a single grape. Can you please give advice on how to correct this problem?
Grape vine, Damson plum, disease	I have numerous grape vines and a blue Damson plum that gave me a lot of trouble last year. They came on beautifully. I sprayed them with a fungicide as the season progressed. However, both the grapes and the plums began to shrivel, turn color, and eventually dropped off. I did not get a single grape. My plum tree has given trouble before but I didn't get any plums from the tree even though it was loaded initially. Can you please give advice on how to correct these problems?
Grape vine, Damson plum, diseases	I have numerous grape vines and a blue Damson plum that gave me a lot of trouble last year. They came on beautifully. I sprayed them with a fungicide as the season progressed. However, both the grapes and the plums began to shrivel, turn color, and eventually dropped off. I did not get a single grape. My plum tree has given trouble before but I didn't get any plums from the tree even though it was loaded initially. Can you please give advice on how to correct these problems?
Grape, fleaa beetles	What is that eats the leaves of my grapes? Just as the leaves start to grow, these tiny, little black insects chew them off.
Grasses	I currently have Switch Grass planted but after 3 years I find that it is too tall for the space that I have it in. Can you recommend a similar ornamental grass that would grown no taller than 3-4 feet to replace it?
Green ash tree	I have a 15 year old Green ash tree in my courtyard. In April of this year we re-landscaped the yard and the berm around the tree was slightly re-graded and shifted. In the middle of the summer the tree started shedding leaves like mad. Not only the leaves but the green stems too. A local tree service came out and looked for disease, etc. but could find nothing in the trunk or on the leaves. They said it was shock, maybe from root disturbance. They recommended fertilizing this fall. Meanwhile, it is snowing leaves to the point that I can not keep it swept up fast enough. Do you have any other ideas or suggestions on what is causing this or how to stop it?
Green ash tree problems	We have a Green ash tree which is looking sickly. It's leaves have turned partly brown, some have fallen, and they are curling up. While breaking up some of the twigs for disposal we observed ants moving through them. We were quite surprised by this finding. Have you ever heard of this, and could this be the cause of our leaf problem? I thought perhaps with it being so dry the ants may have been looking for moisture. Any help you could give us would be greatly appreciated.
Green flowers	We have a lovely family story of a green silk fabric brought from China in 1710. Six generations of brides have worn a wedding dress made of the silk, which is a green color. A 1950 bride will be celebrating her 50th anniversary (with a party given by her 102 year old mother-in-law, no less) and her sister would like to find the flowers she carried. She knows the name of the flower was 'Green Regent', which I suspect is a cultivar name, and it was a green color which matched the dress. The flowers were forced into spring bloom in South Carolina. No florist she has contacted is familiar with the name. Can you tell us what this plant is?
Ground cover	I have a large sweet gum ball tree and a large purple maple tree side by side. Very little grass grows at the base of these two trees and I have considered putting in a ground cover. However, I am wondering about the gum balls, twigs and leaves accumulating in the ground cover, how would I clean it once the ground cover does cover the area? Do you have other suggestions for areas at the base of older, large trees where roots are above the ground level and the area cannot be mowed? I am doing a lot of weed-eating and etc. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Ground cover, fire damage	We had an accidental brush fire in our front yard where autumn leaves caught fire and burned several ground cover perennials, including English ivy and hens-and-chicks. Do you think they have been killed, or will they grow back again?
Ground cover, removal	My lawn is covered with a variety of ground covers can I rototill and seed, or must I kill off the ground covers in order to establish a new lawn?
Ground cover, roots	I have a 15 by 15 foot area around a tree in front of my house where I have not been able to grow grass, due to the roots near the surface from the tree. What sort of low, evergreen type of ground cover could I use to keep the area from just being mud?
Ground cover, shade	What low growing ground cover would you suggest for under birch trees? The area is shady and moist in the spring, but very dry in the summer and fall. I thought about creeping thyme, but in the description I found it states it spreads rapidly and that makes me wonder if it will be hard to control. Creeping Red sedum is another plant I thought about, but it too states it 'spreads fast' and that concerns me.
Ground ivy, Creeping Charlie, control	Ground ivy is about to take our lawn. What and when should we do for next year? We have used granular products, because we have been concerned that sprays might harm the flowers and shrubs. It is even in the Zoysia grass and on adjoining properties on both sides where it is not controlled.
Groundcover	What are the best groundcovers for use under a big pine tree?
Groundcovers	Will ground covers choke out perennials? I have ajuga, and veronica and evening primrose that are ground covers or flowers that apparently can grow like ground covers. I have them in beds of perennials. As they spread, is there any danger of them choking out perennials?
Grub worms	This is something I've always wondered about. Whenever I turn over my compost pile (I put leaves, grass clippings, and kitchen scraps in there), the deeper, more decomposed sections seem filled with fat, white worms the size of my thumb. My grandfather always called them grub worms. I also sometimes see them when I turn over the soil in the garden. What are these? Are they particularly good or bad? If they're in my compost, should I be spreading them on my garden? Should I be doing anything to get rid of them?
Gumballs, mulch	I'm building a new perennial garden this spring and I don't have many leaves left over to help aerate and enrich the clay that's already there. Would it be alright to till gumballs into the ground along with the leaves? It seems like these would break down even slower thus helping the soil to stay aerated. I plan on using plenty of mulch to help prevent seeds from sprouting. Is there anything wrong with gumballs that would hurt the new bed?
Hail damage	What will happen to my garden after that incredible recent hailstorm that dropped golf ball-sized hail on my plants?
Hard puffballs in lawn	I need help! I have a lot of black hard root-like pods popping up in my grass and opening up with black soot-like fungus. How can I get rid of these things? I have mainly Kentucky Blue grass.
Hard water, soft water for plants	My tap water has a lot of salt in it and it is very hard. Will it hurt my plants? I have had plants all my 44 years of married life, but now my neighbor says she thinks we should use distilled water because it seems our water is getting worse.
Hardshell gourds	I am interested in growing large spherical gourds for the purpose of constructing an imberi (a musical instrument of African origin). Would a casaba melon or other suitable plant grow well in Missouri and where may I obtain seeds for these plants?
Hardy bamboo, Yellow-groove bamboo, pruning	I have a large clump of tall, hardy bamboo and all the of leaves and some of the stems have turned brown since winter. Many of the stems are still either partly or entirely green, however. I'm wondering if these are still alive, and what is the best way to handle this situation?
Hardy hibiscus	I planted a hardy Hibiscus this spring and enjoyed its beautiful flowers all summer. How do I prepare it for winter and when?
Hardy hibiscus, dividing	My two Hibiscus bushes are planted near each other on the west of my house for about 3 to 4 years now. They are crowding each other very much. I cut them down like I did last year, so that now they are about a foot tall because they were crowding each other and the leaves were turning ugly spotty brown. I would like to know if since they are cut down can I divide them now?
Hardy hibiscus, propagation	I would like to plant Hibiscus moscheutos, the tall perennial hibiscus. I have a neighbor who has one. Can I take a cutting from this plant or should I plant a blossom?
Hardy hibiscus, propagation	I have 3 outdoor hibiscus bushes which produce huge flowers each year. Last year I kept one of the dried pods and took out the round B.B. like seeds and planted them. Nothing happened. Is there a trick to getting these seeds to germinate?
Hardy hibiscus, pruning	When can I cut back my hardy hibiscus? Should it be cut back in fall or spring?
Hardy hibiscus, pruning	I have a hardy hibiscus, red in color, with the dinner plate size blooms. It gets so tall, about 6 feet when in full growth. It is very heavy when in full bloom, and I have to stake it to keep it from falling over. Can I safely pinch it back to prevent it from growing so tall, and if so, when to do so?
Hardy hibiscus, rose mallows, aphids	I have only been in St. Louis for two years now so I don't really know that much about the plants and how they should be progressing throughout the year. I have two large "hardy hibiscus" planted around my mailbox. At the beginning of the summer they had the beautiful full flowers but began showing signs of bug problems. The buds started getting shriveled up and turning brown. Just this week I had one flower bloom but the other buds still look puckered instead of smooth. When I went out to look at them, I realized that the brown buds had opened up and seeds were showing. Is this how they usually "end" their season? Is there anything I should be doing? When do I cut them back for winter? I would really appreciate your help. Also the reason I called them "hardy hibiscus" was because I was told I also have some tropical hibiscus that are not perennials.
Hardy hibiscus, seed germination	I have 3 outdoor hibiscus bushes which produce huge flowers each year. Last year I kept one of the dried pods and took out the round BB-like seeds and planted them, but nothing happened. Is there a trick to getting these seeds to germinate?
Hardy hibiscus, transplanting	How soon can I move my hardy Hibiscus? Also, I bought some Hyacinth bulbs that are potted and have buds on them. Do I plant them in the garden now or after they bloom?
Hardy mum, pinching, pruning	My hardy mums are growing so fast due to all the rain. To develop bushy plants, I know I should pinch the growing tips. Could you provide information on the method of pinching and when to pinch and what time to stop pinching?
Hardy mums, coloration	I have some mums in my garden that are almost 20 years old. When I bought them they were purple, maroon and other colors. Now when they bloom they are white. What is the problem? I fertilize them and trim them a couple of times a year before mid July. Also, these mums do not bloom until September. My neighbor's mums bloom in a couple of weeks. Please help.
Hardy mums, pinching	Last fall I bought quite a few mums and planted them here and there for fall color not knowing if they would return. As it happens, at least a dozen plants did return. I pinched them a while ago. They are happy plants, but while out of town for a week and a half, they grew more and many have buds. Do I let them mature and bloom, or pinch them one more time removing the buds?
Hardy mums, pruning	Our mums did great this year, and some are still blooming. Should we cut them back and if so, how short? Should they be mulched?
Hardy nut tree propagation	I would like to grow a Walnut tree from a nut. Could you please advise on how to plant the walnut. I would also like to experiment with acorns and hickory nuts if you could also advise on these.
Harry Lauder's Walking Stick, Contorted filbert	What care should be given to the contorted filbert, or "Harry Lauder's Walking Stick"?
Hawthorn tree, cedar-quince rust fungus	What's wrong with my hawthorn tree? All of the fruits are covered with this orange dust.
Hedge "smoke"	I saw the strangest thing this morning and I’ve been gardening all my life. I was out by my evergreen hedge and saw what appeared to be smoke coming from it, but could not see any fire. Have you ever heard of any such thing?
Henbit	Recently we were driving through central Missouri and found great patches of a very short plant with a purple bloom. It was nothing we see in central Illinois indeed we don't believe we've ever seen it. It may be a weed or it may have been planted. We saw it in mowed lawns and even out in fields. I would call it a ground cover very very short and very obvious as it sems to spread easily. If it is a weed it is bad news. What was the name of what we were seeing please?
Henbit, chickweed control in lawns	I have been told by several friends that the time to kill henbit and chickweed in lawns is early September, and the product to use is a preemergence week killer. Sounds good! The problem is, I have checked every place possible and no one has a preemergence weed killer that can be used on a lawn. Do you have any ideas or suggestions? We sure have a mess with these weeds and this hot and dry weather has made it worse.
Henbit, control	I have a weed that I have identified as henbit. It covers about 3000 sq. ft. or 1/2 of my back yard. I have been able to contain it from the front yard but figure it's only a matter of time. Weed-B-Gon used at the recommended dosage does not have much effect. I doubled the dosage to keep the front clean but this dosage damaged the grass for a few months before it bounced back. Do you have any recommendation? I might be fighting a losing battle because my neighbors don't seem to care and consider it to be good ground cover.
Hens & Chickens	This summer was the first time I've seen my "Hen & Chicks" bloom. My neighbors told me they had never seen a blooming one like mine. Is this normal or one of Mother Nature's oddities?
Hens & chickens	I have 2 strawberry pots of hen and chickens. In the past I have place the pots on the south side of my garage and covered the pots with straw. I have move and need advice on how to store the pots this winter. Is placing straw over the pots the best way to winter the pots? Can they be placed in an un-heated garage? What do you recommend? In the past my pots spent the summer on the east side of the house. In my new home, they will be on the south east side of the house. Can the hen and chicken survive the afternoon sun?
Hens & Chickens, flowering	This summer was the first time I've seen my "Hen & Chicks" bloom. My neighbors told me they had never seen a blooming one like mine. Is this normal or one of Mother Nature's oddities?
Hepaticas	I have just noticed a problem with one of my hepaticas. On top of the leaves are whitish bumps. I thought it might be an insect, a gall or some such. However when I turned the leaf over and scratched away the part that looked almost like a scale covering, all I found was a black sooty powder--almost like smut or charcoal. What is it and how shall I combat it? Is this something that may spread? Shall I spray with a fungicide? Cut off all infected leaves? Dig and destroy the plant? I asked some friends and one person said it was indeed a fungus, while another said it was a mite that left the smutty black residue behind so was not a fungus problem. At this point I have removed the leaves and put them into a ziplock bag in my humidrawer in the refrigerator.
Herb garden soil mix	I hope you can help me with a new project. This past weekend, I built a new raised bed in a full sunlight area of my yard for the express purpose of growing herbs for the kitchen. It is my understanding that herb gardens require a sandy soil for optimum growth. If this is indeed the case, please help me with a recipe for the soil mix. My new bed is approximately 10' x 6' x 6" deep.
Herb, Rosemary	We just moved into new offices and we’re looking for herbs to go in the window with it. Is there any place you would suggest to buy herbs like rosemary?
Herbicide damage	I am looking for information about herbicide damage to deciduous shrubs and trees. Plants were sprayed to prevent bag worms and the spray caused curled under leaf margins. Please send me an internet link.
Herbs	I have a small herb garden in my backyard and many of the herbs growing there have a rather bitter taste and they are not at all fragrant or flavorful (sage, tarragon, marjoram in particular.) The basil grown there seems to have a decent flavor. I have tested the soil and the pH is between 6.8 and 7.0. Can you give me any idea of what might be contributing to the lack of flavor? Is there any particular amendment to the soil that you recommend--or anything else?
Hibiscus	I have a Hibiscus that is dropping its leaves. This is a plant that is kept in a pot outside until the weather gets cold and then I bring it inside. It has been blooming profusely all fall and now also in the winter. Its leaves turn yellow and then drop. What do I need to do for my plant?
Hibiscus	Can you tell me the botanical name and where I can purchase a hardy hibisus? I see lots on sale but no one can tell me if they are hardy or not. I would like one that can withstand our winters.
Hibiscus	I planted two hibiscus three years ago. The first two years they were beautiful and were blooming in early June. This year they have loads of buds on them but only a couple have blossomed and a lot of them are turning yellow and some are drying up. Can you tell me what is wrong with them?
Hibiscus seed germination, viburnum	Could you run down the sequence on how to prepare the seeds taken from the pods for Hibiscus? I would like to know when to take the pods inside and when to start preparing them for planting. Also a second question, when is a good time to dig up a small amount of "Snow-ball bush" so I can give some to friends so they can plant them and enjoy?
Hibiscus tree, bush, yellowing	I have 2 potted hibiscus trees and 1 potted hibiscus bush that I winter over in our lower level in front of windows that face south, so they get lots of light. My problem is they are scraggly looking! They have few leaves and these frequently turn yellow and drop off, during all seasons. I pruned them in March of 1997 and they did not fill out over the last summer, although they did produce new green leaves just not that many. During the summer, I keep them on our deck that faces east and south, so they get sun virtually all day, perhaps they get too much sun. They do start to bloom in late summer and the trees will bloom during the fall and winter. It is just that they look so forlorn with so few leaves. Should I prune them more? Should I repot them or do they prefer to be root bound? (I have them in 12" pots and the trees are about 5' tall.) When and how often should they be fertilized and what kind should I use? I would appreciate any suggestions.
Hibiscus tree, repotting, overwintering	I have a Hibiscus tree which I have had four years. It has grown considerably and I will be repotting this plant within the week. I have always taken this tree indoors around the middle of October and returned it to the deck the middle of April. This year due to repotting and size it is just too big to take inside. How can I keep this plant from dying? I have been considering moving it to my front porch. The porch has a southeast exposure and morning sun. The place I was intending to put it is in the corner of the porch near my front door. This corner is about three feet in from the elements on either side. The walls which make up the corner are those to indoor rooms. Will this keep my tree alive during the winter? Basically, what are your ideas for this plant?
Hibiscus, Bronze, Red-leaf	I acquired what was described as a "red-leafed hibiscus" at a local nursery in mid summer, but was unable to find out if the specimen was hardy or not (or anything else, such as bloom color, pruning, care, etc.). I've tried a number of books, web sites, and other gardeners, but I haven't been able to identify this hibiscus. It is non-woody, hasn't bloomed since I got it, and has gotten to be about 6 feet tall. The leaves are a deep red-purple, and shaped almost like a Japanese maple. To avoid loss to frost, I brought it inside (it's potted). It's lovely, but getting a little topheavy. Can you help me save it?
Hibiscus, 'Confederate Rose'	My sister in Florida sent me a picture of a Confederate Rose flower that bloomed in her garden last summer. I believe it is of the hibiscus family but do not know for sure. She sister didn't know either since the plant was there when she moved in. The flowers were white when they first bloomed, then eventually each flower turned pink then red. Beautiful! Can you further identify the plant and if so, is it suitable for planting in the St Louis area? Also, where can I get one?
Hibiscus, houseplant, cultivation	My son gave me a Hibiscus plant for Mother's Day. I had blooms for almost two weeks and then none. I replanted to a larger pot and now have it outside where it is brighter and it gets some sun. The leaves are a lovely bright green and it is full of buds, but they turn brown and drop off before it can flower. Could you please give me some information on this?
Hibiscus, insect control, whiteflies	In reference to your recent reply to a question about whitefly on hibiscus, we are far from experts, but we've kept tropical Hibiscus plants for several years. Moving them in for the winter, there is no real way to avoid the whiteflies. We've tried most of the remedies you mention for them and they all work, but require more labor than we think we need to do (though vacuuming them is fun). There is another alternative, the lazy gardener's way: Keep the plants in a cooler room in wintertime. They won't bloom continuously, but the whiteflies seem to be dormant. We keep our north facing (that's life) sunroom at no lower than 55 degrees and the room often heats to 70 on nice days, 60 65 on the greyer days. Before bringing the plants in, we rinse them off well with plain water and soak the roots. We think this tempering over winter also lets us put the plants out a few days earlier in spring and eases their transition to the outside. Sacrifice the blooms and don't see the flies. Works for us.
Hibiscus, leaf yellow, leaf drop	I have four hibiscus plants. My trouble is yellow, dropping leaves. Also, one plant had some hard white node-like things stuck to the stems. A salesperson sold me something called insectical soap. I sprayed the plant as she said and in a few days it was in shock and losing leaves rapidly. Immediately I took the hose spray and washed it off. It has recovered, but still looks puny. I have my plants inside now in a southwest window. Do I continue keeping them uniformly moist and fertilize monthly, or do I withhold water? The plants are still blooming and making buds.
Hibiscus, non-hardy	I have a Hibiscus plant (non-hardy) that I bought in 1993, and it was in continuous bloom all last summer. I set it out on the patio this summer and it continued to grow, but did not have any blooms all summer. Can you tell me why?
Hibiscus, overwintering	Can you help me with my hibiscus? It bloomed beautifully all summer, in a pot on our front porch. I brought it in the house this fall, put it in a sunny east window and kept it watered and fertilized. I discovered little aphids on the leaves, so sprayed for that. But the leaves turned yellow and fell off till now only about 1/3 of the leaves remain. It looks pretty straggly and no new buds. What should I have done differently? Thanks for your help.
Hibiscus, overwintering; Basil, indoors	I received a hibiscus plant as a gift in July. Do I need to water and care for it all winter, or can I put it in my basement and forget it until spring? Secondly, I brought in my basil plant just before frost. I just pruned it and am left with all stem. What are it's chances?
Hibiscus, Red-leaf, Bronze, Cranberry	I acquired what was described as a "red-leafed hibiscus" at a local nursery in mid summer, but was unable to find out if the specimen was hardy or not (or anything else, such as bloom color, pruning, care, etc.). I've tried a number of books, web sites, and other gardeners, but I haven't been able to identify this hibiscus. It is non-woody, hasn't bloomed since I got it, and has gotten to be about 6 feet tall. The leaves are a deep red-purple, and shaped almost like a Japanese maple. To avoid loss to frost, I brought it inside (it's potted). It's lovely, but getting a little topheavy. Can you help me save it?
Hibiscus, rose mallow	Can you tell me the botanical name and where I can purchase a hardy hibiscus? I see lots on sale but no one can tell me if they are hardy or not. I would like one that can withstand our winters.
Hibiscus, transplanting, pruning	Second, I have a white hibicus that is an outside plant that needs to be transplanted. I simply planted it in a spot that is not quite big enough for it to really spread out. When is the best time to transplant? And when is the best time to cut back the dead growth.... in the fall after it has quit blooming and growing or in the spring before new growth begins?
Hibiscus, tropical, cultivation	Could you please help me find a solution to my problem. I have a hibiscus tree that I purchased last year which flowered constantly all summer. I brought it in for the winter, and put it back out this summer. The tree grew about 2 1/2 feet since last year but has never bloomed since. How do I get the tree to bloom? Should I be feeding it something special?
Hickory	I have some hickory nuts that I picked up from a neighbors tree. How do I plant them?
Hickory nuts	I have a 15 year old hickory, but there were no streamers or blooms again this year. If it is a female, will it ever have nuts?
Hickory nuts	I found some hickory nuts with shells no thicker than pecan shells. I cracked some and when I ate the nut meats they tasted like I was eating some of the inner shell. I am not sure that they are totally dry as yet. If I allow them to dry for a period of time will the nut meats also lose that shell flavor and taste as they should? How long should that take?
Hickory nuts	I found some hickory nuts with shells no thicker than pecan shells. I cracked some and when I ate the nut meats they tasted like I was eating some of the inner shell. I am not sure that they are totally dry as yet. If I allow them to dry for a period of time will the nut meats also lose that shell flavor and taste as they should? How long should that take?
Hickory nuts, germination	I have some hickory nuts that I picked up from some neighbors tree. How do I plant them?
Holes in cedar deck	I am having a problem with something boring into my cedar deck. It's been up for 2 years now, and I have just discovered a hole in the railing, which is pine. The hole is about 3/16 to 1/4 inch in diameter and is perfectly round. Very fine saw dust is below it. In another place, I have just discovered about a half of a hand full of some more fine saw dust, which is cedar. I can't find a hole yet, but did see a wasp or hornet nest. Do these critters bore into wood?
Holes in garden	One of my clients has several (maybe 100) small holes in her backyard near her birdfeeder. The holes seem to range from less than 1" to 2.5" in diameter. Your article on cicadas shed some light on this for me, however, I'm wondering if some of these could be from snakes. Her backyard ends with a very steep and wooded slope towards a stream. Is it likely that snakes would burrow beneath the ground like this, or do the cicadas drill such large holes?
Holes in lawn	My back yard sits near a small water drainage area and is of full of little, and not so little, holes. I was told that it could be crawfish or, heaven forbid, snakes! At times there are little mounds of mud near the hole, which makes me think it might be crawfish, but how do I get rid of them? I have never seen any other evidence of what it might be.
Holiday Cactus, Schlumbergera	I have three large cacti in 10 and 12-inch hanging baskets. Two of them must be Thanksgiving cacti, as they bloomed profusely and were very beautiful. The third is the oldest of the three, and it always blooms after the other two have finished. That is, until the last two years when its' blooms were very sparse, and this year also there are very few buds. All three are watered, fed, and housed alike. What makes the difference? Would repotting help? This one must be a Christmas cactus, as the leaves are a little different.
Holly	I have a small holly bush that really did well this year. In fact, I picked a lot of the berries. However, since our cold weather, a lot of the berries have turned brown. What do I do with these brown berries? Do I trim the bush? Just a few leaves on my male holly have also turned brown. Do I cut these off?
Holly	Is there a certain time of the year to prune holly bushes? I have 3 in my yard. I am unsure of the type. One produces berries. Are there any other things I need to know to keep them healthy?
Holly tree	Recently I was walking past a planting of hollies, all apparently dead. The trees, in full brown foliage, looked as though they'd been sprayed with a weed killer. These are clearly recent plantings - within the past year at most. Everything else in the vicinity was alive and well; only the hollies are affected. Do you know anything about this?
Holly tree	We have 2 holly trees at least 20 feet tall in front near the street. The one in the front, facing east, is doing fine, but the other a little further in and shaded on the far side has lost most of its leaves only on the west (shady) side. i have cut back the offending gum tree to give it a lot more sun and i water profusely and regularity. What else should i do.? Holly food? etc.
Holly tree	We have a nice green leaf American holly tree (pyramid shape) in front of our home. Beginning last summer, it developed some yellow leaves with dark spots. Last year we sprayed it with an iron spray that was recommended by a nursery. The summer before that, an employee at another nursery told us it was winter damage. The condition of the tree steadily decreases and currently it appears the leaves are turning yellow and falling off. Also many of the leaves have winding tracks that resemble a roadmap. Can you please give us any suggestions?
Holly tree, disease, browning	I am worried about the beautiful holly trees that line the entire back lot of my home. They are really important in screening us in back. The trees are about 20 feet tall, and we've pretty much left them alone since moving in three years ago, except for having them sprayed for some disease every year and fed. (Sorry, I don't know what the disease was called-it produced spots on the back of the leaves.) Anyway, now we have two trees whose leaves are turning very brown over the entire tree. Are they dying? What can we do? Will it spread to the other healthy hollies?