A new year... a new planting season just ahead... and some new plant ideas to bestow a fresh new look to your landscape.
At this time of year, we find ourselves seeking out things that are new and different. Several readers have contacted me at steve@landsteward.org and asked for plant suggestions that are a little out of the ordinary. Today, I’ll include a few of the suggestions that I sent to those readers.
What is “new and different” to one person is “been there, planted that” to another, but I hope that one or two of these will turn on a cartoon light bulb over your head!
Tennessee White Iris
This is quite an unusual plant. It is an almost iridescent white crested Iris that was discovered in a patch of regular Iris cristata Alba and singled out for cultivation. The Tennessee White has a fast growth rate, is hardy in zones 3 to 9 and can be planted in full sun, partial sun or shade.
When planting, bear in mind the scale of surrounding plants as the Tennessee White Iris will only reach a height of 10" to 12" with a spread of about 12" at maturity. At the end of the season, you can take them up and divide them for a larger display next season. They are not easy to find but well worth the effort if you want something unusual and quite spectacular. Send me an e-mail if you need some shopping information.
Pink Weigela
If you like the sight (and sound) of hummingbirds, the Pink Weigela acts like a hummingbird magnet when in full bloom. This is certainly not a “new” flowering shrub, but is being re-discovered by landscapers in many parts of the country. Cheryl and I have planted several and they are consistently covered in blooms through the spring and even re-bloom in the summer.
Leave them alone and they can reach 10 ft high and spread to 10 ft wide. However, when kept trimmed, a row of Pink Weigela make a delightfully colorful privacy hedge. They’re quite fast growing and do fine in zones 3 to 9 in full or partial sun or shade.
Fothergilla
Plant Fothergilla Hamamelidaceae and you’ll have an interesting reminder of early American history. This shrub was named after Dr. John Fothergill, a friend of Benjamin Franklin and a supporter of the Colonial cause in England in the 18th century where he specialized in growing American plants.
When in bloom, the Fothergilla’s dense, spiky white stamens resemble a bottle brush. In spring, the foliage ranges from blue-green to deep green and in fall, you’re treated to colors that range from yellow to orange to scarlet.
The Fothergilla is best suited to zones 4 - 8 and prefers acid, well-drained, moist soil. At maturity, you’ll see heights ranging from 3 ft to 6 ft.
Eldarica Pine
I am often asked about trees that are suitable for screening, so here’s one you might consider. The Eldarica matures to that familiar “Christmas tree” conical shape and can reach heights of 25 ft to 50 ft or more, with a spread of 25 ft to 40 ft.
It has a pleasant, fresh fragrance and is tolerant of marginal soils and tough climates in zones 3 to 9. It will do fine in hot, dry climates as well as colder climates and is drought, heat and wind tolerant once established.
Arizona Cypress
And lastly, a tree that would be better planted in the Southwest, as the name implies. This fairly fast-growing cypress will top out at around 35 ft with a spread up to 20 ft and displays dense sprays of bright blue-green foliage. This tree is ideal for planting in zones 7, 8 and 9 where it will tolerate hot, dry conditions.
So there you have it. A few suggestions, some of which might be familiar and some might be new to you. As always, I’m happy to provide more information or maybe come up with some specific recommendations that suit your particular needs when you send me an e-mail.
The Plant Man is here to help. Send questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org For resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, go to www.landsteward.org
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Oak trees targeted by voracious caterpillars
A new year is upon us and already landscape and garden enthusiasts are anticipating the coming spring! Here are some recent questions I received from readers of this column. I’m always happy to receive your comments and questions at steve@landsteward.org
QUESTION: ”My 10 year old oak tree has lost almost all of the leaves. I discovered a lot of caterpillars. I have hardly any leaves left. I have gotten rid of the caterpillars, but my tree looks very barren. Will it come back or is there something special I should do ?” – Jeanette Stevens
ANSWER: Caterpillars can be frustrating! In some cases, caterpillars can totally defoliate a tree. According to an online article published by the Extension Service of Texas A&M, when a tree is defoliated it can become stressed and serious damage can occur. Green leaves manufacture energy that allows the tree to grow and maintain its natural vigor. Once a tree is defoliated, it essentially stops manufacturing sugar which slows tree growth.
Moreover, stressed trees are susceptible to attack from various diseases and wood-boring insects. What to do? Well, caterpillar populations are generally cyclic and they rarely appear year after year, so you could simply do nothing and see if the tree comes back next spring. If you see evidence of leaf-roller infestation at that time, you could spray the leaves with a carbaryl product such as Sevin or any similar product designated for the control of caterpillars or oak worms.
To find out more about caterpillars and how to control them, I suggest you read the entire article at http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/publications/E206.pdf and you can easily click on a direct link from this column archived at my Web site www.landsteward.org under the Plant Man heading.
QUESTION: “I purchased 2 Grace Smoke Trees and planted them in early spring this year. Both plants are close to 5 ft. tall. They are healthy and leafed out well in the spring. I am wondering if I should prune them back a bit in the spring to help them bush out more, and...if so, how much should I prune? One plant has a v-shape trunk (with 2 main stalks) at the base and the other plant is one long trunk. Neither tree has any limbs yet. One more question: should I fertilize and when is the best time for these trees? Hope you can help and thanks so much for your advice.” – Trish Joyner
ANSWER: Pruning these plants now (or at any time during fall/winter) will promote a more intense foliage color. Also, they do flower better on new growth. Treat them the same way you would crape myrtles. Cut them back anywhere from one third to one half of the plant. It will force more branching and all of this new growth will produce more flowers and striking foliage.
The rule of thumb on fertilizing deciduous trees and shrubs is to wait for them to leaf out in spring before applying your first round of fertilizer and be sure to follow the directions on the package to not overdo it. I prefer the granular fertilizer, but that’s just a personal choice. Adding compost or other natural products to the soil around the immediate base of plants can give them as much of a boost as fertilizer can. Natural products will not harm the plants and will only help to build your soil.
QUESTION: “Can I put my lawn clippings such as leaves and grass directly into my garden to till in in the spring or would this be more of a problem later?” – Neal Goble
ANSWER: It is far better to compost them first. Among the many reasons, composting the clipping first will eliminate most of the weed seed before you put it in your garden. Go to my Web site and find two recent Plant Man columns that include a lot of information on composting.
QUESTION: “I have an arborvitae in a large container, will it survive in a container over winter?” – Adrianne
ANSWER: No, You should either bury the container in the soil so that it can be insulated or take out of the container and plant.
The Plant Man is here to help. Send questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org For resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, go to www.landsteward.org
QUESTION: ”My 10 year old oak tree has lost almost all of the leaves. I discovered a lot of caterpillars. I have hardly any leaves left. I have gotten rid of the caterpillars, but my tree looks very barren. Will it come back or is there something special I should do ?” – Jeanette Stevens
ANSWER: Caterpillars can be frustrating! In some cases, caterpillars can totally defoliate a tree. According to an online article published by the Extension Service of Texas A&M, when a tree is defoliated it can become stressed and serious damage can occur. Green leaves manufacture energy that allows the tree to grow and maintain its natural vigor. Once a tree is defoliated, it essentially stops manufacturing sugar which slows tree growth.
Moreover, stressed trees are susceptible to attack from various diseases and wood-boring insects. What to do? Well, caterpillar populations are generally cyclic and they rarely appear year after year, so you could simply do nothing and see if the tree comes back next spring. If you see evidence of leaf-roller infestation at that time, you could spray the leaves with a carbaryl product such as Sevin or any similar product designated for the control of caterpillars or oak worms.
To find out more about caterpillars and how to control them, I suggest you read the entire article at http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/publications/E206.pdf and you can easily click on a direct link from this column archived at my Web site www.landsteward.org under the Plant Man heading.
QUESTION: “I purchased 2 Grace Smoke Trees and planted them in early spring this year. Both plants are close to 5 ft. tall. They are healthy and leafed out well in the spring. I am wondering if I should prune them back a bit in the spring to help them bush out more, and...if so, how much should I prune? One plant has a v-shape trunk (with 2 main stalks) at the base and the other plant is one long trunk. Neither tree has any limbs yet. One more question: should I fertilize and when is the best time for these trees? Hope you can help and thanks so much for your advice.” – Trish Joyner
ANSWER: Pruning these plants now (or at any time during fall/winter) will promote a more intense foliage color. Also, they do flower better on new growth. Treat them the same way you would crape myrtles. Cut them back anywhere from one third to one half of the plant. It will force more branching and all of this new growth will produce more flowers and striking foliage.
The rule of thumb on fertilizing deciduous trees and shrubs is to wait for them to leaf out in spring before applying your first round of fertilizer and be sure to follow the directions on the package to not overdo it. I prefer the granular fertilizer, but that’s just a personal choice. Adding compost or other natural products to the soil around the immediate base of plants can give them as much of a boost as fertilizer can. Natural products will not harm the plants and will only help to build your soil.
QUESTION: “Can I put my lawn clippings such as leaves and grass directly into my garden to till in in the spring or would this be more of a problem later?” – Neal Goble
ANSWER: It is far better to compost them first. Among the many reasons, composting the clipping first will eliminate most of the weed seed before you put it in your garden. Go to my Web site and find two recent Plant Man columns that include a lot of information on composting.
QUESTION: “I have an arborvitae in a large container, will it survive in a container over winter?” – Adrianne
ANSWER: No, You should either bury the container in the soil so that it can be insulated or take out of the container and plant.
The Plant Man is here to help. Send questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org For resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, go to www.landsteward.org
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Oak trees targeted by voracious caterpillars
The Plant Man column
for publication week of 12/25/05 - 12/31/05
(730 words)
###
The Plant Man
by Steve Jones
Oak trees targeted by voracious caterpillars
A new year is upon us and already landscape and garden enthusiasts are anticipating the coming spring! Here are some recent questions I received from readers of this column. I’m always happy to receive your comments and questions at steve@landsteward.org
QUESTION: ”My 10 year old oak tree has lost almost all of the leaves. I discovered a lot of caterpillars. I have hardly any leaves left. I have gotten rid of the caterpillars, but my tree looks very barren. Will it come back or is there something special I should do ?” – Jeanette Stevens
ANSWER: Caterpillars can be frustrating! In some cases, caterpillars can totally defoliate a tree. According to an online article published by the Extension Service of Texas A&M, when a tree is defoliated it can become stressed and serious damage can occur. Green leaves manufacture energy that allows the tree to grow and maintain its natural vigor. Once a tree is defoliated, it essentially stops manufacturing sugar which slows tree growth.
Moreover, stressed trees are susceptible to attack from various diseases and wood-boring insects. What to do? Well, caterpillar populations are generally cyclic and they rarely appear year after year, so you could simply do nothing and see if the tree comes back next spring. If you see evidence of leaf-roller infestation at that time, you could spray the leaves with a carbaryl product such as Sevin or any similar product designated for the control of caterpillars or oak worms.
To find out more about caterpillars and how to control them, I suggest you read the entire article at http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/publications/E206.pdf and you can easily click on a direct link from this column archived at my Web site www.landsteward.org under the Plant Man heading.
QUESTION: “I purchased 2 Grace Smoke Trees and planted them in early spring this year. Both plants are close to 5 ft. tall. They are healthy and leafed out well in the spring. I am wondering if I should prune them back a bit in the spring to help them bush out more, and...if so, how much should I prune? One plant has a v-shape trunk (with 2 main stalks) at the base and the other plant is one long trunk. Neither tree has any limbs yet. One more question: should I fertilize and when is the best time for these trees? Hope you can help and thanks so much for your advice.” – Trish Joyner
ANSWER: Pruning these plants now (or at any time during fall/winter) will promote a more intense foliage color. Also, they do flower better on new growth. Treat them the same way you would crape myrtles. Cut them back anywhere from one third to one half of the plant. It will force more branching and all of this new growth will produce more flowers and striking foliage.
The rule of thumb on fertilizing deciduous trees and shrubs is to wait for them to leaf out in spring before applying your first round of fertilizer and be sure to follow the directions on the package to not overdo it. I prefer the granular fertilizer, but that’s just a personal choice. Adding compost or other natural products to the soil around the immediate base of plants can give them as much of a boost as fertilizer can. Natural products will not harm the plants and will only help to build your soil.
QUESTION: “Can I put my lawn clippings such as leaves and grass directly into my garden to till in in the spring or would this be more of a problem later?” – Neal Goble
ANSWER: It is far better to compost them first. Among the many reasons, composting the clipping first will eliminate most of the weed seed before you put it in your garden. Go to my Web site and find two recent Plant Man columns that include a lot of information on composting.
QUESTION: “I have an arborvitae in a large container, will it survive in a container over winter?” – Adrianne
ANSWER: No, You should either bury the container in the soil so that it can be insulated or take out of the container and plant.
The Plant Man is here to help. Send questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org For resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, go to www.landsteward.org
for publication week of 12/25/05 - 12/31/05
(730 words)
###
The Plant Man
by Steve Jones
Oak trees targeted by voracious caterpillars
A new year is upon us and already landscape and garden enthusiasts are anticipating the coming spring! Here are some recent questions I received from readers of this column. I’m always happy to receive your comments and questions at steve@landsteward.org
QUESTION: ”My 10 year old oak tree has lost almost all of the leaves. I discovered a lot of caterpillars. I have hardly any leaves left. I have gotten rid of the caterpillars, but my tree looks very barren. Will it come back or is there something special I should do ?” – Jeanette Stevens
ANSWER: Caterpillars can be frustrating! In some cases, caterpillars can totally defoliate a tree. According to an online article published by the Extension Service of Texas A&M, when a tree is defoliated it can become stressed and serious damage can occur. Green leaves manufacture energy that allows the tree to grow and maintain its natural vigor. Once a tree is defoliated, it essentially stops manufacturing sugar which slows tree growth.
Moreover, stressed trees are susceptible to attack from various diseases and wood-boring insects. What to do? Well, caterpillar populations are generally cyclic and they rarely appear year after year, so you could simply do nothing and see if the tree comes back next spring. If you see evidence of leaf-roller infestation at that time, you could spray the leaves with a carbaryl product such as Sevin or any similar product designated for the control of caterpillars or oak worms.
To find out more about caterpillars and how to control them, I suggest you read the entire article at http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/publications/E206.pdf and you can easily click on a direct link from this column archived at my Web site www.landsteward.org under the Plant Man heading.
QUESTION: “I purchased 2 Grace Smoke Trees and planted them in early spring this year. Both plants are close to 5 ft. tall. They are healthy and leafed out well in the spring. I am wondering if I should prune them back a bit in the spring to help them bush out more, and...if so, how much should I prune? One plant has a v-shape trunk (with 2 main stalks) at the base and the other plant is one long trunk. Neither tree has any limbs yet. One more question: should I fertilize and when is the best time for these trees? Hope you can help and thanks so much for your advice.” – Trish Joyner
ANSWER: Pruning these plants now (or at any time during fall/winter) will promote a more intense foliage color. Also, they do flower better on new growth. Treat them the same way you would crape myrtles. Cut them back anywhere from one third to one half of the plant. It will force more branching and all of this new growth will produce more flowers and striking foliage.
The rule of thumb on fertilizing deciduous trees and shrubs is to wait for them to leaf out in spring before applying your first round of fertilizer and be sure to follow the directions on the package to not overdo it. I prefer the granular fertilizer, but that’s just a personal choice. Adding compost or other natural products to the soil around the immediate base of plants can give them as much of a boost as fertilizer can. Natural products will not harm the plants and will only help to build your soil.
QUESTION: “Can I put my lawn clippings such as leaves and grass directly into my garden to till in in the spring or would this be more of a problem later?” – Neal Goble
ANSWER: It is far better to compost them first. Among the many reasons, composting the clipping first will eliminate most of the weed seed before you put it in your garden. Go to my Web site and find two recent Plant Man columns that include a lot of information on composting.
QUESTION: “I have an arborvitae in a large container, will it survive in a container over winter?” – Adrianne
ANSWER: No, You should either bury the container in the soil so that it can be insulated or take out of the container and plant.
The Plant Man is here to help. Send questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org For resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, go to www.landsteward.org
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