Stately junipers add garden drama as they point skyward

Sometimes, all your landscape needs to give it a whole new look is a little drama. These fast-growing junipers could be just the ticket.

Juniper Spartan (Juniperus chinensis Spartan)
If you read much about gardens, you often see photographs of so-called Italian cypress in magazines and books. There’s nothing wrong with them at all. But after a while it gets a bit ho-hum seeing the same old, same old.

The Juniper Spartan makes a very acceptable alternative and, by the way, is the source of the lovely spiraled topiary columns that are popular in Mediterranean-style gardens. They also work well in large, heavy duty concrete or ceramic containers as accents in a formal garden.

The Spartans are handsome, fast-growing junipers with a densely branched columnar form that makes them useful as a screen or windbreak. They prefer full sun and rapidly reach a mature height of between ten and twenty feet.

Juniper Blue Point (Juniperus chinensis Blue Point)
Plant this juniper close to a lush, green lawn and the effect is quite dramatic because the emerald of the grass accentuates the juniper’s blue coloring. Like the Spartan, the Blue Point has exceptionally dense foliage that would be ideal for screening.

I often recommend the Blue Point to line a stately driveway or frame an entry. If you have a square courtyard, you get a very pleasant effect by planting one Blue Point at each corner. However, I also like to see them in matched pairs or groups to form a colorful screen or garden accent.

As with most plants, it makes sense to understand its natural habitat and try to match that as closely as possible. In the case of the Blue Point, its natural habitat is dry and windy with exposure to full sun. Plant the Blue Point where it will receive virtually no shade all day and this will allow the foliage to dry quickly in the morning, preventing disease from thinning the canopy.

Juniper Skyrocket (Juniperus scopulorum Skyrocket)
Regular readers might remember a question that appeared in this column from a reader who needed ideas for a very narrow strip of land separating her house from her neighbor’s. When a tall, narrow tree is called for, make sure Skyrocket is on your list!

This thin, columnar juniper is ideal for awkward, narrow spaces such as side yards. The evergreen, silvery-blue foliage on the Skyrocket is exceptionally consistent, showing very little change from season to season. It’s a good plant for both hot and cold regions but, like the other junipers, it does require exposure to fairly full sun for best results.

Skyrocket makes a very imposing statement when planted against a large fence or building or in formal plantings. With only a two or three foot spread, the Skyrocket can soar to around twenty feet quite rapidly and is tolerant of dry/arid soil.

If your tastes run to something a little wider and wilder, let’s move away from the junipers and look at…

Euonymus Manhattan
This one is definitely more than just another broadleaf evergreen: this is one of the very few Euonymus that bear colored fruit. If you’re a fan of berried plants such as Viburnum Brandywine or Cardinal Candy, or perhaps Brilliant Red Chokeberry, the Manhattan would be the perfect complement. White flowers appear, framed by the dark green leaves and followed by the pinkish fruit.

Manhattan can tolerate cold to almost 0 degrees F as well as high temperatures, wind, poor soil and even salt spray. I think this plant looks best when planted in a semi-wild setting where you can allow it to grow without shearing. Even left to its own devices, this shrub has a neat, formal appearance, topping out at six to ten feet at maturity.

Put these evergreens on your “look see” list if year-round drama is something you’d enjoy.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

Reader’s lawn headaches call for groundcover cure

QUESTION: “I built a new home about 2.5 years ago and I am sick of my grass! It has been nothing but a headache. I have been through several lawn maintenance companies and I have had many arguments with them. “At this point I think my best remedy would be to get rid of all the grass and just plant some kind of ground cover. Some of the reasons for my woes are that (1) I built on a ravine, (2) my lot is not even; there are a variety of slopes, and (3) the sun/shade character is totally different for various areas of the front and back yards. Obviously, different conditions yield different results. “My concern is whether or not ground cover would invite infestation by creepy crawly things. I do have a lot of visitation by all kinds of insects and animals since I live on a ravine. Would the ground cover be more inviting to them than the grass? Part of my maintenance problem has been some of the creatures tearing up parts of the grass. After much consultation with a variety of people, I finally concluded that, simply, they were here before I was and they will win! “Finally, I am not an outdoor person. If the ground cover will lead to high maintenance then I don't want it. Secondly, I have no idea what kind to get, so I need some advice. Third, for a yard that is 3,000 sq. ft. (front & back) will the cost be prohibitive or is the transition a reasonable one?” – Mark Ealy

ANSWER: The creepy crawly things may not go away but you may at least have more beneficial ones with ground covers. One thing you may want to begin with is to take an old garden hose and use it as an outline to layout some areas that you would like to have ground cover in. If the area is shaded part of the time and sunny part of the time, you can really do a lot of different effects. You don’t have to have grass but some at least in the beginning as pathways or just something to break up the ground cover will be aesthetically more pleasing to the eye.

Shaded pathways could be great for hostas and shade loving perennials. Sunny areas would be ideal for small flowing shrubs and ornamental grasses. By doing it this way, you will eliminate a lot of future maintenance. I would begin by dividing the area into 3 or 4 sections and work on one at a time. This gives you a chance to live in the areas you plan and continually come up with more ideas to give you the garden you want. A garden is not something you plant just one big time and then stand back and admire. It is a place to which you constantly add new things for your enjoyment. It does not become a maintenance thing but a place to reflect on the day’s experiences and enjoy your own touch of nature.

If you decide to go this route, email back at steve@landsteward.org with more specific details about the first area you plan to do and I will help where I can. Other readers seeking advice on specific groundcover choices are welcome to do the same.

QUESTION: “In a recent column, you said it is better to give the lawn a good soaking (a 6 inch depth) once a week rather than frequent light watering, say, 10 minutes every 6 hours. Why is this?” – Patrick M. Galla

ANSWER: If you are watering lightly the roots of the grass never get a deep watering and thus never develop a deep root system. Once your grass develops a deep root system it will not only grow lush and healthy, it will choke out a lot of the weeds. With a deep root system, when the watering stops even through draughts, your grass will be able to access water from a greater depth.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.organd for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

These small plants create big bang for the buck

The New Year is here and garden lovers are thumbing through catalogues and poring over online Web sites planning the look of their landscapes for spring and summer.

As you sift through your horticultural options, bear in mind that a landscape doesn’t have to soar into the stratosphere to be spectacular. Today, I’ll review some plants that are truly beautiful but are definitely “close to ground level.” And as a bonus, most are fairly simple to care for, too.

Tiearella Pirate’s Patch
With a buccaneering name like that, you know it has to be quite special. If your landscape needs an edging plant in an area that is shaded or semi-shaded, this could be the one for you. It is a clumping perennial that grows to a width of around twelve inches with a foliage height of just five inches. The flower spikes grow to about ten inches tall.

Tiearella Pirate’s Patch is sought after because of its early bloom season, fragrance, repeat flowering and unusual leaf shapes. The emerald foliage develops chocolate markings in the summer and turns reddish-brown in the fall. Pirates create a wonderful display with white spires of fragrant, delicate flowers in the spring. Its low, slow-creeping stems make it an ideal groundcover, particularly in soil that is humus-rich and moisture-retentive and somewhat shaded.

The foliage on mature Pirates can become quite large for such a low-growing plant, and up to 250 flower spikes per plant have been reported on three year old plants.

Hellebore Pink Lady
Actually a trio of Hellebore “ladies” but I’ll start with Miss Pink. She’s extremely easy to grow, topping out between 12 and 15 inches tall and about two feet in width. Delightful pink blooms begin to appear in late winter and persist as late as May. When not in bloom, the lush, shiny evergreen foliage remains year-round as a low-growing groundcover.

All of the ladies in the Hellebore family are virtually maintenance free once established and are deer-resistant, if that’s a concern in your area. They like loamy, moist soil with lime and leaf mold. They can provide a delightful mat of groundcover to enhance deciduous shrubs, conifers and broadleaf evergreens.

Don’t forget her “sisters.” Hellebore Red Lady provides red-maroon blooms in late winter to early spring, and Hellebore Blue Lady sports deep purple-blue flowers that are truly breathtaking. All the petite Hellebore ladies are easy to grow and bring forth flowers when most other plants are dormant.

Liriope Big Blue
NEW! Liriope Big Blue An attractive, tufted evergreen perennial groundcover with arching, grass like foliage. Abundant blue flower spikes rise above the foliage in summer followed by clusters of black berries.

Despite its ‘big’ name, this tufted, evergreen perennial has arching, grass-like foliage growing no more than 15 inches tall and wide. In summer, its blue flower spikes rise above the foliage, followed by clusters of black berries in the fall.

Big Blue could be a good alternative (or addition) to Pirate’s Patch as both do well in partially shaded areas. However, Big Blue will also grow well in full or partial sun. Ideal as an edging or ‘regular’ groundcover, members of the Liriope family are often planted on hard-to-mow slopes and banks.

Liriope are tough little guys, growing in sandy or clay soil, enduring heat, drought and even salt spray. However, they do not like “wet feet” so they are best planted in moist but well-drained soil.

Liriope Variegated
The long, grass-like foliage has a bright green “stripe” running the length of each leaf framed each side with edges of creamy pale yellow. Purple flower spikes appear in summer followed by blue-black berry-like fruit in the fall.

Creeping White Phlox
Also known as Phlox subulata, this is another good option for planting on slopes and banks where you’d prefer to avoid mowing. Growing 4 to 6 inches high and around 18 inches wide, it is covered with blossoms in May and June.

In addition to groundcover, Creeping Phlox looks good in rock gardens, atop retaining walls and in hanging planters. Look for other Creeping Phlox varieties in red, emerald blue, apple blossom and candy stripe.

Good things really can come in small packages, so don’t overlook “little guys” like these as you plan your spring planting.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

Better drainage will fix mold and mildew in mulch

QUESTION: “I have spent waaaay too much money applying redwood bark and cocoa hulls to my front and backyard landscape and flower beds only to find that the cool fall weather has caused the bark to mold and mildew, plus the neighborhood cats are using my landscape as their litter box. Is there anyway I can save my investment? Please help!” – Sandy Davis

ANSWER: Cool, damp weather can cause mulch to mold and mildew. I suggest you investigate ways to improve drainage to divert water (whether it’s from rainfall or supplemental watering) so it will move away from the mulched areas as quickly as possible. Turning the top part of the mulch from time to time will help to prevent more moldy areas.

Now, onto the feline problem. There are a few things you can try and all are humane and safe. The first one is to lay down chicken wire on top of the mulched areas. Cats, generally, will not walk or stand on the horizontal wire fencing and of course can't dig so they are likely to move to another yard.

Two other things that will help but must be used consistently to be effective are putting cayenne pepper flakes on the mulch or spraying it with the urine of a known predator of the cat, such as fox or coyote. If you don’t happen to have a fox or coyote handy, you can find bottled urine at hunting stores or army surplus stores. I hope you are able to reverse the problem with your mulch.

QUESTION: “What plants and shrubs are available for landscaping near a house where the soil has a clay loam that holds moisture so much so that many plants roots rot?” -- Carl

ANSWER: “Most plants do not like wet feet. The first thing I would recommend is to loosen the soil. You can use a product such as Prosper Soil Conditioner. It increases friability and resists crusting, allowing water and air to permeate soil. Use this product and then begin to add some soil amendments to your soil to build up the organic matter. Once you have good healthy soil you will be able to grow many types of plants not just the ones that might or might not survive in adverse conditions.

Like cures for hiccups, it seems almost everyone has a “lawn recipe” that they swear by! Recently, I included a recipe from a reader serving with the armed forces overseas. That brought a lot of reader response, and here is a slightly different cocktail from another reader:

COMMENT: “I searched high and low, and found this lawn recipe. It works miracles. In a 32-oz. sprayer, mix one can non-light beer, one 12-oz. can soda (non-diet), 4 oz. Palmolive dish liquid, 4 oz. mouthwash (it has something to do with killing grubs, etc) and 4 oz. ammonia (think nitrogen, and hydrogen).

“I believe that this is the ultra-professional recipe. I always use the Palmolive, as that and the beer seem to be the only constant of all the recipes that I have found. My neighbor fertilized with Scott's Organic within 2 days of me using my wonderful-smelling lawn recipe, and MY lawn sprung out of it's brown coma in 3-4 days, filling in patches previously brown from the neighbors cats. In a week, there were NO brown spots.

“Ammonia can't be beat, especially delivered through the 32-oz. hose sprayer, because of the jolt of nitrogen and hydrogen it gets, especially when applied with the beer and soda for the carbonation. It gets through even heavily thatched lawns. I'm glad to spread the word. Maybe winter will be a little greener for all of us! I'll let you know how my grass holds up in comparison with the neighbors.” – Susan Glenn

Thank you, Susan. I’m sure many of our “turf-challenged” readers will want to try your recipe, or submit recipes of their own. If you want to read the column that started it all, you can find it archived at my Web site www.landsteward.org Look for the column titled, “Grass will go green with this lawn cocktail.”

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

Exotic hibiscus bring a hint of the tropics to your landscape

The names given to plants can be highly evocative, creating a delightful mental image before we have even seen the plant. Shakespeare’s Juliet might have believed that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but the folks who develop new plant hybrids know the importance of creating exactly the right name that will strike a chord with gardeners.

I must confess that I can be influenced, at least initially, by a plant name that suggests striking colors or exotic perfumes, but over the years I’ve learned to withhold judgment until I’ve seen the plant in my own landscape!

Today I’ll tell you about some plants that do live up to their very apt names.

The first four are members of the Hibiscus family. Hibiscus (sometimes called rosemallow) is a genus of about 200+ flowering plants that are native to warm, sub-tropical and even tropical areas of the world. In the USA, most are hardy in USDA growing zones 5 through 9.

For many peoples of the world, the Hibiscus is more than just a pretty face. The variety known as Roselle is used in the West Indies, Egypt and Sudan to make jams and herbal teas and the Hibiscus species Kenaf is used in paper making. White Hibiscus is believed to have medicinal properties by the proponents of the traditional Indian system of Ayurveda and Hindus use Hibiscus as an offering to the goddess Kali.

I have heard that red Hibiscus has been used to treat dandruff and that dried Hibiscus is considered an edible delicacy in Central America, not that I have ever tried either of those uses personally.

As you can see, Hibiscus has quite an exotic pedigree. If that wasn’t enough, growers have given creative names to some of the newer Hibiscus varieties.

Hibiscus Rose Satin
This is quite the showy plant featuring large, single, deep rose-pink flowers with a blazing red center. The petals have a wonderful silky, satin sheen that you just want to stroke. Rose Satin has the richest true pink bloom of any Rose of Sharon that I’ve seen.

Hibiscus Violet Satin
Like the Rose Satin, the Violet Satin was hybridized by Claude Bellion and this is another real eye-popper. Covered with deeply saturated red-violet flowers, the color looks almost electric when the light catches them just so. This variety adds a burst of color to a mid-summer garden.

Hibiscus Blue Satin
I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a blue Hibiscus with richer, more vibrant color than the Blue Satin. The saturated bright blue color of the blooms will add a tropical accent to almost any landscape

Hibiscus Blush Satin
Rounding out the quartet, the aptly-named Blush has delicate pink “cheeks” around a bright red center.

All four of the Satin hybrids seem to be more vigorous and hardy than older varieties. If necessary, they can be quite heavily pruned in late spring or early fall, but left to their own devices will top out between 6 and 10 feet at maturity. They are tolerant of most soil unless it is very dry or very wet.

Moving from Hibiscus to a Hydrangea with an evocative name…

Hydrangea Lemon Wave
With this plant, the foliage is more spectacular than the blooms, and if the name evokes images of dark green leaves irregularly splotched with creamy lemon yellow, then the hybrid developers who named it have done their job well. Amid those lemony leaves, waving gently in the breeze, you see delicate lace-cap floret clusters in July and August. The blooms are on the pinkish side in neutral to alkaline soil and a light blue in acidic soils.

For more information about Hydrangeas, particularly the dwarf varieties, see last week’s column. If you missed it, you can find it archived at my Web site, www.landsteward.org

Yes, plant names can conjure up delightful visions in our minds. Start planning now to add an exotic element to your landscape next season.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

Dwarf hydrangeas bring European accent to your garden

Picture this: It’s next summer and you’re proudly taking a friend for a stroll around your landscape. “Here’s Vienna,” you say, “And there’s Berlin. That’s Venice over there. Oh, and here’s Paris.” Ooh la-la!

Not bad for a half-acre lot somewhere in America. Before you start humming “It’s a Small World After All,” I should explain that I’m talking about four varieties of hydrangea, each with unique characteristics that you might want to add to your garden next spring.

Ah, spring! It might seem a long way away right now, but it will be here before you know it. That means that now is the perfect time to be planning (and even pre-ordering) the plants that will grace your landscape next season.

Let’s start with those four Euro-centric hydrangeas.

All four varieties were developed by the German plant breeders Franz-Xaver and Konrad Rampp. Their objective was to create tight, full plants without chemicals that need no pruning and little or no special care.

They are considered “dwarf” hydrangeas as they top out between 12 and 36 inches tall at maturity. They prefer moist but well-drained soil and are hardy to USDA zone 5, thriving in full sun in northern climes and in afternoon shade further south. They look good as groupings, in a perennial border or even as a colorful low hedge. They are also compact enough for containers and are well suited for fresh or dried indoor flower arrangements.

Although all of these varieties have flowers in the pink to red range, the pH value of the soil will affect the color of the blooms. A more alkaline soil will produce blooms of a deeper pink, whereas a more acidic soil tips the color scale towards blue. If you prefer to see blue flowers, here’s a grower’s trick: add a tablespoon of aluminum sulfate to a gallon of water and soak the roots in early spring. You’ll need two applications.

Hydrangea Cityline Paris

The Paris is the most mildew-resistant of the Cityline series, worth noting if mildew seems to be a problem in your garden. In a fairly alkaline soil, Paris will produce blooms of a deep, rich red that is unusual for a hydrangea. As it matures, it will turn a pleasant shade of green.

Hydrangea Cityline Vienna

Although Vienna is a dwarf variety, the flowers are unusually large in proportion to the plant, making them appear much larger when in bloom. It’s a real eye-catcher with giant pink blooms that start out with cream-colored centers gradually maturing to solid pink (or blue… see above!)

Hydrangea Cityline Berlin

Berlin is the most robust and colorful of the Cityline series with large rosy-pink flowerheads on a plant topping out between 2 and 3 feet high and spreading to maybe 3 or 4 feet wide. The large blooms look as if they’d be too heavy for such a small plant, but all these varieties are bred for stronger stems that hold the flowerheads upright.

Hydrangea Cityline Venice

The blooms of the Venice tend towards a fuchsia color that makes a delightful contrast to the glossy green foliage. Again, abundant blooms that are surprising on such a compact plant. If you plant it beneath deciduous trees, check the first year to be sure it isn’t receiving too much sunlight during winter months, particularly in more temperate climates.

I’ve said that none of these hydrangea varieties need pruning and indeed that’s a fact. However, if you want to build a tighter plant or maintain a shorter size, you can take some simple shaping steps.

If the plant seems “leggy” when you buy it, you can shear it back to a half or even a third of its size. Once it puts on an inch or two of growth, pinch the branch tips to remove just the growing tips. Because this tip controls branching, the buds below it will turn into stems. Once these new branches grow an inch or two, repeat the pinching process. You’ll sacrifice a year’s blooms, but will have a tighter plant with even more flowers in the future.

But even without pruning these Euro-hydrangeas bring a world of color to your garden.

Not all of the Cityline Hydrangeas may be available.

Five ways to protect plants from Old Man Winter

A single night of harsh winter weather can undo all the TLC you lavished on your plants from the spring to the fall. But a little care and attention now can ensure your plants survive to thrive again next season.

My wife Cheryl has compiled a list of Web sites that should provide all the help you need to protect your plants this winter, so I will turn this week’s column over to her. As Cheryl points out, “Every homeowner should know the best way to protect their landscape regardless of which area of the country they live in.”

A frequent question has been on winter rose care and protection. With roses, a little prevention is worth the effort. The University of Illinois Extension site has put together a great page on how to protect your beauties over winter. It has sketches which make it easier to understand if you are a newbie to roses.
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/roses/winter.html

Hydrangeashydrangeas.com, which is my favorite site on hydrangea care, now gives information on winter care specifically for hydrangeas. It also offers great pictures on how to insulate any containers you may have (of any shrubs or trees). If you have any pots or containers on your deck or patio, you will want to check this link out for that reason.
http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/winter_protect.html

Those of you, like me, who are just getting around to doing any fall clean up work in the landscape should check this out from the University of Vermont Extension site on how to prepare your garden for winter. It really covers all of your landscape from bulbs to perennials to shrubs to trees to vegetable gardens, listing everything that needs to be done for these plants to help make sure your plants get through winter with the least possible damage.
http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmext/publications/oh/oh3.htm

If you are in an extremely cold region with heavy ice and snow, you will find this link helpful as it gives detailed instructions on building A frames for your plants.
http://landscaping.about.com/od/shrubcare/ss/shrub_shelter.htm

One of my all time favorite idea sites is the Fine Gardening Magazine web site. You can read and enjoy many of the articles from the magazine here. We often recommend this site to readers who contact us for tips and ideas on landscaping and gardening design. I keep old issues for reference and the link here is to one of the most informative articles for winter protection. This link will show you how to wrap your shrubs and trees to prevent damage from ice, snow and freezing winds.
http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/how-to/articles/shelter-plants-from-winters-worst.aspx

I recommend printing these pages out for future reference. Keep them in a folder for easy access. Fall and winter is a great time to read about gardening and landscaping. Start a tickler file. When you find landscaping ideas, plants or techniques that interest you, print them from your computer or tear them out of the magazine and put them in the file. I started a gardening file years ago and continually add to it. When I want to add a plant or do something special with an area, I pull out my tickler file and go through it. There are always great ideas. After all, I thought they were great to start with. Right?

For anyone who missed our window box ideas last year, here's a link to it. It's just basic ideas and pictures to give you some thoughts to go out on your own and create great window boxes or containers for the fall and winter season.
http://greenwoodnursery.com/Images/window%20boxes.pdf

In a recent column, I included a “lawn cocktail recipe” that drew some questions from readers regarding the 20-gallon sprayer that was referred to. I asked the reader who sent me the recipe to clarify. Here’s his response:

“A 20 or a 25 gal sprayer (depending on the make & model) is available at Lowes, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, etc. It is about half the size of a football and only holds about a quart of liquid or Miracle Grow granules. The reason they call it a "20 gal sprayer" is because it takes (out of the garden hose) 20 gallons of water-to flush or empty the mixture inside the container. I personally prefer one where you can adjust the spray so it can shoot out a really heavy/course spray for the grass & bushes...not the delicate Miracle Grow one unless it has an adjustable nozzle. However, any one will work.” – TSgt Michael Gray

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

Treat Christmas cactus like a tropical plant

QUESTION: “I've inherited some Christmas cacti from my mom and my wife’s grandmothers. The ones from my wife’s side were big beautiful plants. Recently they have started to turn yellow and are withering from the ends toward the plants. I'm not sure how much and how often to water them. Should I water them on a weekly basis or should it be more time in between watering? I also started giving them plant food in the water. I don't want to lose them. Any advice would be deeply appreciated.” – Scotty Bench

ANSWER: This is a very timely question with the Christmas season approaching fast! Here is a link to total care of Christmas cactus. http://www.humeseeds.com/xmasccts.htm You may want to print it out and keep it near where you are growing them for quick reference. Regarding the watering question, the article at that site says: “Since the Christmas cactus is a tropical plant it will require watering on much the same basis as any other type of tropical plant. A good procedure to follow is to water the plants thoroughly and then allow about the top inch of soil to dry before watering again. However, during the fall and winter months, the plants should be watered less frequently in order to get them to bloom.”

My long time plant died over summer and I plan to get a new one this season. They are gorgeous plants and mean more when they come from loved ones. One thing that I don’t think is mentioned in the link is that when or if you repot them, it takes several years for them to begin blooming again.

QUESTION: “I read your article recommending knock-out roses and I planted three double reds this spring, but was unsure what type of winter care they need. I have several hybrid teas that I mulch about 8 inches above the crown. Do I need to do this with the knock-outs as well? Also, do I prune them back, now or next spring?” – Sonia Lencyk

ANSWER: We have quite a few knockout roses ourselves. Some years we do not mulch. However, we are in Tennessee and conditions may vary where you live. I suggest you treat the knockouts just as you would your tea roses. Trim them only to shape and when they start blooming next season all you would have to do is simply deadhead. The only time you would trim the knockouts is to shape them the way you like.

QUESTION: “When planting fall bulbs, how do you keep the squirrels from digging them up?” – Sandy Lovell

ANSWER: The best way I know of to keep the squirrels from digging up the bulbs is to dig the area back a few inches, pin down chicken wire and cover it back up with the dirt. Burying the chicken wire will help to prevent people and pets from tripping over it. Just check it from time to time to be sure it is still secure.

QUESTION: “I saw your column in the newspaper and wondered if you would give me a suggestion. Our house is situated “catty-cornered” on a corner lot, on a slight hill, and right in the middle of the lower part of the yard is a 3 foot wide by 3 foot high electrical box.

“When we moved in there was this huge clump of overgrown shrubs which had been there for 10 years. We had those taken out, but now I’m trying to figure out what to plant around it that will hide the box year-round, but be easy to maintain. Someone suggested some ornamental grasses. The spot is in full sun. I would also be interested in the web sites re: curb appeal.” -- Amy Griffith

ANSWER: As far as hiding the box you can do any number of things. The best I have seen is where you try to incorporate it into the landscape so that it doesn’t look like you are just trying to hide a box. Grasses would work well but you may want to also incorporate something evergreen to hide and add interest year around. I have e-mailed you the list of Web sites about enhancing curb appeal. Other readers who would like a copy are welcome to send me an e-mail request.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

A planting primer for trees and shrubs

Perhaps you visit a garden center or look at an online catalog and see various intriguing plants but hesitate to make the buying decision because you’re not sure about the correct planting procedure.

Today, we’ll look at three ways you can buy plants (from the little guys up to the most majestic of trees) and have a quick primer on how to plant each type. If you still need help, send me an e-mail at steve@landsteward.org

(Note: this column first appeared a couple of years ago. I’m running it again in response to numerous e-mailed questions about how to plant trees and shrubs.)

Potted plants
Usually, it’s the smaller plants that you can buy in pots, but you’ll sometimes find larger shrubs sold that way, and the planting procedure is the same for all of them. First of all, dig a hole approximately twice the width and depth of the container, add some organic matter and refill the hole about halfway with some of the soil.
Tap the pot a few times to loosen the plant and it should slide right out. Put it into the hole and gently spread the roots out, being careful not to break them. It’s a good tip to seat the plant so it is about an inch higher than it was in the pot to allow for it to settle. If it is sitting too deep, simply lift it out and add a bit more soil underneath it. When it’s at the right height, carefully start filling soil in around the plant, adding water every so often to prevent air pockets and to keep the roots nicely moistened. Add a little mulch... stand back and congratulate yourself!

Bare root
If you’ve seen the term “bare root” but aren’t quite sure what it is, allow me to explain. Simply, it’s a plant, quite often a tree, that comes to you without any soil attached to the roots. Because it has been washed free of soil, there is a greatly reduced chance of carrying soil-bourne diseases to your landscape, and, due to their light weight, they are very easy to handle while planting.
If I have some bare roots that I can’t plant right away, I discard all the packing materials, lay them on the ground and loosely pile some damp soil or compost over the root ends to keep them moist but protected from frost. For bare root trees, about 4 to 6 hours before planting, uncover the plants and soak the roots in a bucket of water. Bare root perennials need less of a soak; 30 minutes to an hour should be enough.

As with the potted plants, dig a hole that’s a bit wider than seems necessary. This allows the delicate young roots to spread without trying to force their way through compacted soil. Place the plant into the hole and hold upright while you fill some of the soil back in around the base. There’s usually no need to add any soil amendments at this stage.

Add the rest of the soil around your little tree and press down firmly but don’t pack it too tightly. Add a generous amount of water and once that has soaked in, add mulch to a depth of about two inches and a diameter of three feet. Be sure that the mulch is not touching the trunk! For the first year, make a point of watering it every week to ten days, depending on weather conditions.

Balled and burlapped
“B and B” plants can be quite bulky and heavy. Always pick up your B and B by the root ball, not the trunk. When you have dug a hole plenty big enough for the root ball, remove any strappings, string or wire. You can do this after you have placed the root ball into the hole if you prefer. Natural burlap need not be completely removed as it is biodegradable. Some landscapers leave all of it on the root ball, while others trim it back, leaving some of it under the plant. Thoroughly soak the root ball with water then begin filling in the soil around the root ball, adding more water as you go. Then simply add a layer of mulch just as you would with a bare root.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

Prune and deadhead to shape growth and force blooms

QUESTION: “We have a new home (2 years old) and I have Knockout roses across the front of the house. Some have grown quite bushy and, not being a gardener, I am uncertain when or if I should prune them. If so, do I prune at a slant or what? They have been absolutely beautiful. Also, I have not "deadheaded" them but wonder if I should. Thanks for any advice you can give me.” – Beth Haynie

ANSWER: First of all, it is not necessary to prune roses at a slant. Pruning comes down to a matter of personal taste and what you find aesthetically pleasing to look at. If you feel you need more uniformity and want them all about the same then you may need to prune. If you prefer a wilder, more natural look, some slight trimming could be all you need to do.

Deadheading refers to pinching off spent flowers to force the growth of new blooms. The deadheading process fools the plant into believing that its reproductive cycle is not yet complete, so it compensates by producing additional blooms and thus the seeds that accompany them.

The Knockout rose was introduced in 2000 and became an immediate favorite due to its hardiness (in USDA zones 4 – 9) and its exceptional disease resistance, blooming from spring to frost. The Rainbow Knockout is one of my favorite varieties.

QUESTION: “I am not able to work in my yard during the hot weather so therefore my yard is a MESS! Weeds, I know, can be cut down anytime and I have a ton of them. But I have Rose of Sharon to be cut and other bushes (I am not quite sure of their names) that need to be trimmed. So is spring or fall the best time to do this?” – Linda Sutterfield

ANSWER: Fall is here and what a time to be outside! Weeds can usually wait, but when they put on flowers, they should be clipped or pulled off as soon as possible because they will produce seed and spread all over for germination next year.

If you aren’t sure what the shrub varieties are, the rule on spring and summer flowering shrubs is to prune them after their blooming cycle. Generally, spring and early summer flowering shrubs will set their buds for next season by mid summer. If you prune those during fall/winter, you will lose flowering for the following year. Rose of Sharon will bloom throughout the summer season and blooms best on new wood, so you can prune it at any time.

QUESTION: “I'm trying to develop a sloping southeast facing rock garden in a full sun area. The soil drains well because of the slope. It is about a 45 degree angle. It is anchored by rocks with planting spaces in between.

I formerly had St. John's Wort and coneflowers growing in this area. While they seemed to grow well and seemed to be shunned by deer, still I wasn't satisfied because neither spread. The St. John's Wort did not make a significant enough statement with either the tiny blooms or with the less than luxuriant foliage. The coneflowers may have been the wrong sort as they had small blooms with small rounded cones and didn't show up well.

What I think I need is a ground cover to start over with. Do you have any recommendations for this sunny, deer-prone, sloping rock garden as to groundcover to spread among the rocks on the full sun slope?” – E. Clark Buchi

ANSWER: you could go with any number of ground covers but the ones that I would choose for the area would be Dragon Red sedum, Vinca or Periwinkle and Green Sheen pachysandra. Spread them out across the area and they will eventually come together. You could also mix in some creeping thyme which we have amongst our plantings around rocks and such. You might want to add some of the low growing ornamental grasses for texture, easy maintenance, and winter interest.

Homebuyers love these trees and shrubs

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. This well-known saying is certainly true when it applies to your home. Those few seconds, when a visitor first sees your house, are crucial in creating a positive, neutral or negative impression. This becomes a vitally important consideration when you are selling your home, particularly in a soft real estate market.

This is the third of a three-part series of columns about improving your home’s curb-appeal with some basic landscaping upgrades. That all-important first impression can make the difference between buyers wanting to come inside or simply drive on to the next listing. Even if you are not intending to sell right now, one or two affordable tweaks can put a fresh, attractive face on the home you love.

Last time in this column, I described my number one choice for spicing up a landscape: ornamental grasses. If you missed that or the previous column, drop me an e-mail at steve@landsteward.org and I’ll send you a link where you can read them online.

Today, let’s talk about some trees and shrubs that will be like planting money in you front yard when it comes to appealing to potential buyers.

Japanese Red Maple (Acer palmatum atropurpureum) It’s hard to go wrong here for several reasons, the most important being their extreme beauty.

They work equally well as a specimen multi-stemmed shrub or as a relatively small tree with a mature height somewhere between ten and twenty feet. If you have a bit more room, try two or three in plant groupings.

Another advantage: they are hardy and quite easy to grow. They do just fine in full sun and in various degrees of shade so that if other trees are planted close by, they suffer no adverse effects from the crowding. Landscapers often use Japanese Red Maples in urban settings where large buildings can limit the amount of sun to which they are exposed. They leaf out early in spring & drop their leaves late in autumn.

Holly bushes. Essentially, holly is any tree or shrub of the genus Ilex having red berries and shiny evergreen leaves with prickly edges. Within that wide definition, you can find everything from tiny six-inch dwarves to towering seventy-foot giants.

Hollies come in male and female “genders” and you will need at least one of each if you want the female to bear those traditional holly berries. It’s not easy to tell males from females, but most good nurseries will tag them to indicate which is which. There are some holly varieties that are self fertile so you’d need only one plant in order to have berries.

For fast landscape enhancement, plan on holly bushes that are two to three feet tall that you can use as specimens or foundation plants.

Knockout Roses. I strongly recommend that you consider these beauties as they induce “Oooh’s” and “Ahh’s” from visitors and homebuyers. There are three varieties you could plant to ramp up the curb appeal of your home. Look for Red, Pink or Rainbow Knockout roses.

The blooms of the Rainbow open orange from coral-pink buds and then quickly turn soft coral-pink shading to gold at the base, surrounding a yellow center. All three varieties form compact 3 foot by 3 foot shapes and are quite fast growing.

Nikishi Willow. This fast-grower is spectacular in all seasons. The show begins in spring with yellow catkins in followed by new growth foliage appearing green and creamy white with pink overtones that turns salmon pink by going into fall with leaves turning yellow and winter branches turning a brilliant red.

The Nikishi would be an excellent choice to enhance an entryway or an elegant way to line a walk.

If you’d like to receive a list of seven useful Web sites about enhancing curb appeal, or if you’d like some specific plant suggestions drop me an e-mail at steve@landsteward.org with some details and I’ll reply personally.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve's free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

Hot curb appeal warms up cold housing market

Are you selling your house? Or rather, are you trying and hoping to sell your house, but becoming increasingly depressed about the soft real estate market right now?

Believe it or not, there ARE steps you can take to increase your chances of selling even in a “down” market, and these steps are not inside your house but outside.

For the most part, these steps are relatively easy, meaning you can do them yourself even if you have little or no experience, and they can be carried out with a relatively low investment.

We’re talking curb appeal here, folks!

“Ah,” I hear you say, “Once buyers get inside, they can see what a great house it is.” But what if they decide not to come inside? You are in direct competition with literally hundreds of other homes in the same price range. Buyers have so many to choose from they can afford to be extra picky.

If you don’t think the exterior appearance of your home is a big deal, a survey by the National Association of Realtors found that curb appeal was a “major factor” in 49% of all home sales. Another survey, conducted by HomeGain, an Internet real estate service, claims that spending just $400 to $500 on enhanced landscaping can increase a home’s value by $1,600 to $1,800. Not convinced? Experts at www.landscaping.about.com say that a curb appeal makeover can add 20% to your home’s value.

Let’s look at that from the perspective of a slow real estate market. Yours is one of three homes in your neighborhood for sale at roughly the same price. Same location, same number of bedrooms and so on. But while the other two look ho-hum from the street, your house has a well-trimmed and edged lawn, neat shrubs in mulched, weed-free beds, a clean pathway leading to a front porch with containers of season plants and a freshly painted front door. Your home looks to be, say, 20% more appealing than the other two!

Enhancing your landscaping puts the odds in your favor, compared to the other homes in your area.

In future columns, I’ll provide specific planting suggestions to increase your curb appeal, but first, let’s begin with some basics.

Be objective. For a start, put yourself in the buyer’s shoes. Go outside and walk back and forth looking at your home as if for the first time. What do you REALLY see? What would you criticize if this was someone else’s home?

Watch HGTV and particularly two shows titled “Designed to Sell” and “Secrets That Sell.” You’ll see experts visit a home and be brutally honest about why a home hasn’t sold and what the owners can do to fix it. Then imagine them standing outside your house. What would they say?

Sidewalk and pathway. Clean pathways with a hose and broom, or better still, power wash. If there are cracks or chips, remove any weeds growing there and fix the cracks.

The lawn. Rake away any thatch, aerate and sow some grass seed. Your garden center can advise which variety is best for your location. In extreme cases, invest in a new lawn with fresh sod.

Existing shrubs. You might not notice how those shrubs in front of your home have grown over the years, but buyers will see wild greenery obscuring the windows and they’ll wonder what you’re hiding. Cut them back and shape them neatly. If after that, they still look “woody” and ugly, take a deep breath and dig them up and discard them.

New shrubs. If the front of your house looks sparse and uninviting, invest in a few new shrubs. Take a tip from developers who landscape their new homes with easy-care evergreen shrubs, holly bushes and ornamental grasses. Remember the fresh mulch!

Containers. Some containers on the front steps overflowing with colorful plants say, “Welcome home!”

If you’d like to receive a list of seven useful Web sites about enhancing curb appeal, or if you’d like some specific plant suggestions drop me an e-mail at steve@landsteward.org with some details and I’ll reply personally.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve's free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

Tall, slim plants work best in narrow spaces

Unusual or oddly-shaped spaces can create landscaping challenges, as this reader has discovered.

QUESTION: “I need advice on planting bushes or something in a small space. We have a strip along the side of our house that is about 22" wide and 160" long, so as you can tell, it is pretty long and narrow. On top of that, there is a tree roughly half way in between that we would really like to keep.

“We are not sure what to plant there and we are hoping to plant something that might provide color year round. We have thought about evergreens but don't know if that would look right with a different tree in the middle.” – Andrea Deaver

ANSWER: 22 inches is a very narrow space for most shrubs as their roots will probably spread more than that width. Stay with narrower-growing plants such as the sky pencil holly, which will give height, but not width. Varied heights of ornamental grasses are gorgeous, too.

Throwing in some very low growing shrubs and perennials will also spice the area up. Choose shrubs and perennials that flower or produce bright colors throughout the seasons. Select different plants for color, height, and texture and you should be able to create an interesting foundation planting.

QUESTION: “I am considering planting Purple Wintercreeper (along with drifts of other varieties of groundcovers and shrubs) on a large, steep, south-facing bank but I am concerned about its aggressively invasive character. Will the garden center-type lawn edging that you suggest in your article on groundcovers actually work to contain Purple Wintercreeper's spread? Thank you for your advice.” – Douglas Barker

ANSWER: Yes, lawn edging will work because Purple Wintercreeper is somewhat shallow rooted. It will usually take hold not from the roots but more from the tops that hang over the edging. That is not a big deal if you keep it trimmed once or twice at the most per season with a weed whacker.

QUESTION: “What can I do to get more flowers on my Hydrangea plants? They are so leafy and now the flowers are turning brown.” – Diana

ANSWER: Usually plants that have been fed a lot of high nitrogen fertilizer experience a lot of foliage growth but not many blooms. This could be the reason, if you have been fertilizing them. Hold off the fertilizer and see if they come back with better blooms next season.

QUESTION: “My lawn has begun to showsigns of browning. In fact, two of the outer edges appear to have completely died with just dirt remaining. I have read articles stating that I should just water once a week... but deeply! Is this true? “I will admit that I have been watering at night at about 11 p.m. then again around 6 a.m. This sounds like a mistake according to what I have read. Can you give me a simple 1, 2, 3 on how much, and when to water my lawn. Thanks! Joe Castillo

ANSWER: You don’t mention where you are located, but with your grass going dormant at this time, I’m guessing you have cool season grass. By nature, cool season grass will slow up to the point, sometimes, of going dormant during the heat of summer and then perk back up as the weather begins to cool down.

Regardless of whether you are in the north with cool season grass or in the south with warm season grass, your watering schedule is too frequent. Actually it is better to water a lawn once every 5-7 days and water it longer rather than shorter, more frequent waterings.

Stressing the grass out over a longer period will grow grass with a deeper root system and it will be able to withstand any serious weather problems that may arise, including utility-imposed watering restrictions.

Below is a link to the University of Illinois Extension site on lawn care. It is extremely informative and will help guide you through this period as well as set you up for next spring/summer.

http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/lawnchallenge/lesson4.html

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve's free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

Create a landscape you can eat

Landscaping provides so many benefits from increasing privacy and creating shady areas to preventing soil erosion and, of course, adding eye-appeal. Here’s another benefit that’s hard to resist: landscaping you can eat!

In most cases, this means you’re actually eating the fruit of the plants, rather than getting down on your hands and knees to graze on the green stuff. Fruiting plants and fruit trees can be an excellent addition to your landscape. You can literally enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing and your mouth watering.

Strawberries
Strawberries are a welcome addition to any home garden. Even for relatively inexperienced gardeners, they are quite easy to grow, do not require much space and virtually no chemicals are needed.

From as few as 25 transplants to start a matted row, you can achieve a berry yield in excess of 50 pounds or so one year after planting, depending upon the variety. You will want to select a site that is open to direct sunlight most of the day and you should avoid very low-lying areas prone to spring frosts.

I strongly recommend that you also invest in some spun-bonded row covers to help protect open strawberry blossoms from spring frosts and freezes. The row covers work by allowing light and moisture to penetrate while trapping the heat inside. Temperatures under the cover can be 8 degrees higher than on the outside. Agricultural Extension studies have shown that using covers can accelerate flowering by up to two weeks and increase the fruit yield. When flowers appear, remove the covers during the day to allow pollination.

There are a number of strawberry varieties you can choose from, each with different characteristics.

Ozark Beauty: This is one of the hardiest varieties as well as being a heavy producer of fruit that will be showing up from early summer to first frost.

Honeoye: This strangely-named variety has been around since its introduction in 1979. It produces large fruit with a distinctly tart flavor, starting in early June. Honeoye is also an attractive groundcover.

Sweet Charlie: If you prefer a really sweet strawberry, look for this early season variety. Vigorous and disease-resistant, too.

Raspberries
Raspberries require a good soil with slight acidity and adequate drainage. New plants should be planted in the spring before they start to grow. Raspberries also require one to three inches of water a week. More water is required as the berries get close to harvest.

For easiest harvest and to reduce the risk of fungal disease, provide some types of support for the canes. A simple wire trellis set between posts is often adequate. Cut spent canes to the ground after they finish fruiting.

Domestic raspberries are either summer-bearing plants, which produce fruit in June, or fall-bearing plants, which produce fruit in the late summer and fall. Summer-bearing plants like the Red Latham, flower and bear fruit on canes that grew the previous year. Once they fruit, those canes won't produce a crop again and should be removed.

Red Latham: A reliable favorite producing fruit that is cold-hardy and disease-resistant with a remarkable bright red color and sweet flavor. A good choice if you enjoy home-made jams and jellies.

Caroline Raspberry: This is the fall-bearing standard of raspberries, producing large berries with a strong flavor. Because they are susceptible to verticillium wilt, so do not plant where potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant or peppers have grown in the past 3 to 4 years.

Heritage: An ever-bearing variety producing a crop in June and a larger crop from September through fall. It has a good holding ability on the vine, meaning the fruit is somewhat forgiving if you wait a day or two longer when it has reached its prime harvesting point.

Strawberries and raspberries. Just two of the many edible landscaping options. You are welcome to contact me via e-mail if you have specific questions. In future columns I’ll take a look at some of those other options.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve's free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

Groundcovers provide solutions for many landscape problems

A good groundcover can be a landscaper’s best friend, but despite being a relatively simple family of plants, there can still be some confusion and misunderstanding. This seems like a good time to take a look at the pros and cons of groundcovers and how and when to use them.

At its most basic, a groundcover is a plant that spreads out horizontally, rather that sprouting up vertically like most other plants.

As for the pros and cons, the benefits definitely outnumber the disadvantages. The main “con” to be aware of is that certain groundcovers can spread out further than you intended. Before planting any groundcover, check into its invasive tendencies, if any, and be prepared to corral the area with a sturdy barrier such as lawn edging that you can find at most garden centers.

Now to the benefits of planting groundcovers.

Groundcover plants provide a thick, attractive mat of foliage that suppresses the growth of weeds. This is a major advantage if you dislike weeding!

For the most part, groundcovers are the low-maintenance heroes of the garden world. You can almost set ‘em and forget ‘em. Almost.

Hilly or sloping areas can be difficult or dangerous to mow. Replacing sod with an alternative groundcover in these areas provides a safe and attractive solution.

Regular lawn grass around the base of trees can be patchy due to the shade, but a shade-loving groundcover such as Pachysandra terminalis can be an excellent alternative.

If soil erosion or moisture control are problems, a suitable groundcover could be your answer. As you can see, groundcovers can solve a lot of landscape problems.

When choosing the right groundcover for the site, you need to consider hardiness, size, growth rate, sun, shade, soil requirements, blooming time, and perhaps fall color. Be aware of the conditions of your land and select plants that meet those conditions and are best suited for any specific situations, such as hillside soil erosion. You are welcome to send me your particular groundcover questions and I’ll send you a personal response. My e-mail address is steve@landsteward.org

Now for a brief look at a few groundcovers you might find useful:

Pink Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata)
Ideal for banks, slopes and difficult-to-mow hilly areas, it also looks good in rock gardens and atop retaining walls. Look for other varieties such as Emerald Blue or Candy Stripe.

Pachysandra terminalis
Just about the only plant that will grow successfully under pine trees or other spreading trees, against deeply shaded walls and in enclosed patios. It’s a low, dense, compact beauty that eliminates the need to mow around, and possibly damage, exposed tree roots.

Trailing Periwinkle (Vinca minor)
An excellent choice if you want a very low, trailing groundcover that does well in full sun, shaded or semi-shaded areas, particularly in rich, moist, evenly-drained soil. The dark green, oval-shaped foliage is a delightful background for the bright blue flowers that appear in early spring.

Elfin Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
This one is ideal for planting between bricks or paving stones. As an added advantage, it is highly aromatic, providing the delightful scent of fresh thyme as well as tiny lavender flowers in the summer.

Purple Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei)
If controlling erosion on a slope is a concern, this one is worth considering. It’s a dense, woody, broadleaf evergreen that grows from 6” to 9” tall and can spread indefinitely by rooting stems. It can also be trained into a climbing plant for covering walls or chimneys.

Planting groundcovers is not particularly complex. Generally, you will need to rid the soil of all weeds and debris, till the soil then mix in some organic matter such as compost or manure. Usually, you will plant groundcovers about a foot apart and then water regular for the first year until established. Be sure to follow specific planting directions, however, as the needs of different plants will vary.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve's free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

Trim back plants to concentrate their energy

QUESTION: “This spring we had a hard freeze mid April that killed all tree and shrub greenery. All have thankfully recovered but the growth now is mostly new stems and sprigs especially on the crepe myrtles, rose of Sharon, and lilac. Do I trim back the new growth this winter so that the shrubs are not bushy? I’d really like to have no more than 3 stems to the crape myrtles and one main stem to the Roses of Sharon and lilac.” – Earlene

ANSWER: Simply select the stems you want to keep and trim back the others to the top of the soil. They should be fine and you will put more energy back into the remaining stems.

QUESTION: “I was wondering if you have a good solution for getting rid of ants that are all around and on my Tulip Poplars. I used Sevin on the lawn surrounding the tree but have been hesitant to use it on the tree. If you can help me it would be greatly appreciated.” – Brenda Stevens

ANSWER: One of the ladies here in the office, also named Brenda, had a severe ant problem recently in her back yard as well. She used Spectracide Bug Stop Indoor/Outdoor Insect Control around the area and it took care of the ant problem. Brenda noted that she saw a huge difference after the first spray, but she sprayed a second time to make sure. You should be able to find it at most any hardware store. The ants are attracted to the sweet sap in the tree.

QUESTION: “Last year I purchased several plants, four of which were viburnum. They are doing great but starting to get "leggy". When is the best time to trim them back and is there any special way to trim them?

“Also, I have many Black Eyed Susans in my yard and they are all starting to have black spots on their leaves, mainly the leaves closest to the ground.
Do I need to worry? The plants seem to be doing fine, just don't look as nice.

ANSWER: As you’ve found, viburnum is an easy plant to grow. In fact usually, the only issue is directing and managing the growth. As soon as possible after flowering, trim back and shape them to create a good framework while they are still young. Regarding the Black Eyed Susans, trim or pull away the affected leaves and you should be fine.

Now here are some comments from a reader responding to issues raised in previous columns…

“Steve, I read one person's concern that their peonies don't bloom. One thing that's certain to cause this problem is not enough sunlight. I bought an old house with lots of peonies on the half-acre grounds, and I think they were planted when the trees here were much smaller, giving the peonies more sun.

“I've also had some problems with peonies forming flower buds that don't open up. I've heard that the potassium in banana peels is good to remedy this. I dry all my banana peels during the winter, then grind everything but the stem with a coffee grinder, and keep the resulting powder in a tightly sealed jar for sprinkling around my peonies in the spring. I did get many more open blooms this year.” – Holly Helmstetter

Thanks for sharing that idea, Holly. If you remember a recent column about remedies for brown spots on the lawn caused by dog urine, you might find this additional comment from Holly amusing:

“I don't have any pets (except for the wild birds at my feeding station) but I find that people walking their dogs in our pretty little village will actually let their leashed dogs go up onto my property and do their business. I made a cutesy but effective sign, ornamented with flowers, that says, ‘I don't let my grandkids poop in your yard---please don't let your pooches poop in mine!’"

I hope your dog-walking neighbors take note, Holly!

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve's free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

Planning new home landscaping takes time, patience

Where to begin? When you move into a brand new house that is surrounded by nothing but an expanse of curling, just-laid sod or, even worse, rutted mud and construction debris, it can be hard to decide on the plants that will create your ideal landscape.

For some, there is a temptation to do a rush job in order to make the house look more like a home, digging beds almost at random and filling them with just about anything green. For others, the task is too overwhelming to contemplate and the landscape is pretty much left to Mother Nature.

The best solution, however, lies somewhere in between. Here are questions from two brand new home owners who are faced with this dilemma.

QUESTION: “Our house was just built; in fact it is still being finished up. It has a small front yard and wet lands in the back. We’re looking for something to spruce up the front lawn / patio area. Right now, there is nothing on the property so this will be a fresh start. I have attached 2 pictures of the house so you can see and maybe give me some idea of what I can do.

“Right now, the only thing I have in my mind would be a Japanese dwarf maple and maybe golden mops with barberry shrubs. The only reason I chose those was because of the burgundy color roof. The house itself is more of the khaki brown color.

“I have been racking my brain with this all week as to what I can do. I have no idea about planting so I feel I need something that requires little or low maintenance.” -- Sharon

ANSWER: From the photos you sent me, as a first step, I would recommend foundation plants or anchor plants on the corners. I would go with evergreens like arborvitae or holly.

I would also suggest Bamboo Green Panda. It will grow to a height of about 8 feet with deep green leaves and orange-red sheaths. Green Panda is a fargesia or “non-running” variety which means it is non-invasive and does not need to be contained. Another benefit is that Green Panda is fast-growing so you won’t have to wait long to get that “established” feel on your new landscape. We have this bamboo ourselves and have found it to be very easy to maintain.

You might want to take a look at some of the new dwarf Crape Myrtles like Pocomoke or Chickasaw to line the driveway or plant in front of the house. Some crimson pygmy Barberry shrubs would add some low-maintenance color, too.

I would get these first and then stand back and a take another look. Landscaping is a work in progress. I have found the best way is to plant a few plants, mulch them in, get grass going and then add as needed.

The next question was fielded by my wife Cheryl.

QUESTION: “This is the first house we've owned. Our back yard is needing some help to look better. We want to improve our yard little by little, so what's a perennial that would add some color to our yard?” -- Dick and Mel

ANSWER: The first thing that you should do is just live in your new home and enjoy it over the first year or so to begin planning your ideas of how you will be using your property on a long term basis.

You might not want to go to a large expense to add color to your landscape at this time as you may end up only changing the area. Using annuals, perennials and ornamental grasses grown in containers can brighten up your deck or patio areas. Specific varieties will depend on the amount of sunlight in your yard area.

As you and your family begin enjoying your new home, make drawings and notes about the different ways the property seems to be developing itself for use. As you do this the landscape will come into being, becoming easier to narrow down to trees, shrubs, ornamental grasses and other perennials.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve's free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

Herb garden needs better drainage to thrive

Some plants seem to do just fine in clay soil, but for others you will need to provide much better drainage. Here’s a question from a reader who is faced with that problem.

QUESTION: “My hosta/herb garden is located directly behind my newly constructed home of 3 years on 7 open acres that used to be farm fields. The back of the house and garden face mostly eastward.

”The topography of the land is sloped with the house positioned at the top. When we built the home we added soil (clay) from the neighbor who just started building (as we were finishing), on "plastic" soil at the bottom of the hill which used to be a pond many years ago. I am assuming "plastic" and "clay" soils are the same or close.

”The hostas really don't seem to mind the soil, but I am finding out that as I add lavender and other herbs, they just don't like it. I put a rhododendron in as an accent but it too croaked.

”I thought about removing the soil and starting over, but that would be costly as the area is about 25 foot square, sits on top of the plumbing to the septic tank, and I do have some plants already established that would have to be temporarily removed....is there an amending solution that would be less expensive and stressful for my plants?” – Donna Hrenak

ANSWER: I can certainly relate to this question! We have an area beside our home where we built a garden area using fill from a pond we were digging at the time. So, basically, we used all fill and mostly clay.

For lavender we dug a trench about one foot deep, took out that soil and replaced it with a mixture of concrete sand and small amounts of soil. This allowed good drainage for the lavender. Lavender is a Mediterranean plant that does not need a lot of water. Most herbs will also need to be done the same way. In other parts of the garden I raised the soil level to about 4 foot creating berms. Most of the herbs that do well in our garden are planted there.

I did have drainage tiles put in around the garden about 2 foot into the soil that are exactly like drainage tiles for septic lines that move a lot of the runoff from hard rains to outside the garden area. However, the tile thing may not work for you because you are sitting on the septic line.

I can suggest a product that is organic that I use in compacted soil but needs to be done more then once a year. It’s called Prosper Soil Conditioner and it increases friability, resists crusting, allowing water and air to permeate soil However, this would be for general use. For the herbs and lavender and plants like that, I would suggest that you do what we did in the similar situation as described above.

QUESTION: “We have just built a new home and are trying to do the landscaping ourselves. We planted two dappled willows in the front on either side of a set of windows with a boxwood in the middle.

“Can we keep the dappled willows trimmed and shaped to where they will not overpower the boxwood and stay a medium sized shrub, or should we move them to the side of the house where they can get bigger? They look beautiful now but I heard they can get huge. I love the color and if at all possible would like them to be in the front.” – Lisa Minnick

ANSWER: You are correct in that it can reach a height of 15 to 20 feet, but if you keep it shaped and trimmed you should be able to manage it for quite a number of years.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landstewrd.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve's free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

Start planning for fall planting

You might still be mopping you brow under a broiling August sun, but it’s already time to be making plans for fall planting.

For me, and for many other garden lovers, this is one of the most enjoyable times of the year. Rather like small children imagining the pile of colorfully-wrapped gifts they’ll find under the tree on Christmas morning, we look through catalogs or browse online and visualize vibrant clusters of showy shrubs that will burst forth next spring as a result of our fall planting.

But where do you begin?

Much as it’s fun to do your own detective work as you begin the hunt for the perfect landscape, it sometimes helps to have a few pointers to get your creative juices flowing. So here are some ideas for you. Some might be familiar, some might be quite new to you. But even if they aren’t quite your horticultural cup of tea, they might spark a few ideas of your own.

Physocarpus Summer Wine
Cheryl and I saw this plant at a nursery and went straight over to get an up-close look. It has deeply cut, dark red/crimson leaves, and we both agreed this would be an excellent deciduous shrub to place around yellow or bright green plants to provide dramatic contrast to their color. It creates its own contrast in the spring, however, when it bursts forth with sprays of white, button-like blooms.

Summer Wine is a relatively new Ninebark hybrid and we’ve found that it’s a strong grower but never leggy or out of control. Extremely hardy (to zone 3), it will reach a mature height of 4 to 6 feet and about the same width.

Spiraea Snow Storm
If you would enjoy the sight of brilliant white, closely-packed white blooms, akin to a snow storm in summer, this could be the shrub for you. The snow-white blooms with tiny pink centers appear from early to mid summer and make a nice contrast with the large, deep blue-green leaves that turn to a blazing orange red in the fall.

Snow Storm tops out at around 4 feet and prefers medium-moisture, well-drained soil.

Spiraea Magic Carpet
Sticking with the Spiraea family, consider Magic Carpet if you’d like to see deep pink flowers over bronze to light green foliage that is delicately tipped with red. This is a relatively small plant, reaching to a height of maybe 12 to 18 inches with a spread of about 24 inches, so you could also consider it for a ground cover that will reward you with colorful blooms from early to mid-summer. The foliage will turn to a russet brown that usually lasts until mid-November.

Magic Carpet produces the most vibrant color when exposed to full sun and is drought tolerant.

Abelia Silver Anniversary
This is a colorful deciduous shrub that is easy to grow and was a New National plant release for 2006. I particularly like this one because of its distinct silver to cream margined variegated foliage that form tight, neat groupings around the reddish-brown stems.

Blooming from late spring to early fall, Silver Anniversary will grow to about 1 to 3 feet in height, does just fine in full sun to moderate shade and is adaptable to many soil types with moderate moisture.

Climbing Hydrangea
If you’re looking for a climbing plant to enhance a large fence or pergola or to cover a less-than-beautiful wall, consider the Hydrangea petiolaris. It’s easy to grow, virtually care-free and long-lived, reaching heights (or lengths) of 60 to 80 feet.

Between May and July, it provides a show of creamy white flowers against a backdrop of rich green foliage and peeling bark. You might also use it as a ground cover or let it snake across and around the rocks of a rustic stone wall beside a garden pathway.

I hope I have given you food for thought. In the weeks ahead, I’ll come up with more suggestions, but if you’d like some personal help, e-mail me a few details about your landscape and what you hope to achieve and I’ll do my best to come up some ideas for you.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve's free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

Waterlogged clay soil just won’t drain

One of the pleasures of writing this column is the feedback that I receive from you, the readers. Sometimes that feedback is a question about a problem with a tree or shrub. Sometimes, it’s a suggestion I can pass along to help another reader who has a garden issue. And sometimes, it’s a follow-up to something I’d written in an earlier column.

Today, I’ll pass on a reader’s idea to keep lawns free of doggy-related brown spots. But first, let’s talk about the importance of good soil drainage.

QUESTION: “I have just moved to a new subdivision and to dig the pond we had to rent a jack hammer. That’s how bad the clay is. We have also made a spot for a vegetable plot and a flower bed but the clay is a problem. My local nursery suggested raised beds but this would be difficult for the veg plot. They also said I could try gypsum and peat moss but didn’t mention how much. The flower bed is 8 feet round and the vegetable plot is about 30ft by 15ft. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.” – Aubrey Frost.

ANSWER: To drain correctly, soil needs something known as “large pore
space.” Soil with a clay content of 20% or more is said to be dominated by “small pore space.” This means water is slow to move or perhaps won’t move at all, causing the soil to become waterlogged.

Amending the soil with organic matter will certainly help, but as you’ve discovered, the biggest thing you will need to be concerned about is good drainage. Plants will grow in amended soil but have a tough time establishing in soil that remains compacted with no drainage.

I would remove some of the soil down to about 10 or 12 inches and put in drain tiles. It’s not as difficult as you may imagine if you do what they do when laying a drain field for a septic tank. Basically, it’s a series of drains feeding into one long one that takes the waters away from the planting beds, or at least down to where the soil percs.

If you plan to do this yourself, it’s a good idea to read up on it first.
You could start by looking at this online article on soil drainage published by the Colorado State University Extension:
http://cmg.colostate.edu/gardennotes/217.pdf There’s a direct link to that
site from this column archived at my Web site. You can find drain tile supplies at many home improvement stores.

There are some plants that can tolerate poorly drained soil. These include Arborvitae, Crape Myrtle, Butterfly Bush and some hollies such as Inkberry, Yaupon and Winterberry. However, amending the soil organically and improving the drainage will be the best long-term solution.

HI STEVE: “I am really proud of our creative solution to this (dog-damaged
lawn) problem! We have a Lab and six, soon to be seven, kiddos. We did not want the lawn to be a hazard zone, so when our puppy came home, we trained her by taking her out to a designated "potty spot" every time she had to go, out in the back of our yard. So the end result is that she always heads out to her "potty spot" and the lawn looks great and the kids stay out of her poo.” -- The Droke Family

ANSWER: Designating a specific area for a canine bathroom (and rewarding the dog after he or she uses it) is a great way to keep the rest of landscape free of urine-browned spots and nasty messes.

The Droke family trained their new puppy right from the start, but maybe some other readers found a way to teach an old dog new tricks! Send me an e-mail if you had any success in that area. If you want to read the original column, go to www.landsteward.org and find the one titled “Dog-damaged lawns need creative landscape solutions.”

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve's free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

Mulch and compost helps drought-threatened trees

QUESTION: “My mother has an established Kwanzan Cherry tree. Last year the leaves turned yellow and dropped off prematurely and this year they are doing the same and are noticeably smaller than they have been in the past. Do you have any ideas what may be causing this. I would hate to have her lose the tree!” – A loving son.

ANSWER: With the extreme temperatures and drought that most of the country has experienced over the last couple of summers, trees and shrubs have been going into an early dormancy for protection. The leaves are smaller because they haven't had the chance to grow to full size.

During summers like this, I, too, notice trees of all types turning yellow and dropping their leaves. This will generally happen in late July and throughout August. There isn't a lot that can be done to prevent this happening.

However, it is always good to put a nice thick layer of mulch/aged compost mix around the base of the tree with a welled area immediately around the trunk. This will help to keep the root system cool and moist as well as decompose over the season adding much needed nutrients into the soil. Don't attempt to fertilize as it will only confuse the tree more and can be even more damaging. I hope this helps to explain what is going on.

QUESTION: “Last December I had several small trees planted at my new home. One is a maple. It is about 6 inches in diameter now and very healthy looking. Beautiful deep green leaf with no evidence of pests, fungus, etc. I have noticed on the trunk in the middle on one side, right under the last branch, some cracking of the bark, not just peeling. Should I wrap that spot or just leave it alone? Also when should I fertilize it and also the crabapple trees that were planted the same time? “ – Victoria Smith

ANSWER: Bark splitting is a common problem. I have included a link here from the Virginia Tech Extension site on just that. The article tells how bark splitting happens and, more importantly, how to take care of the plant. You should find it quite helpful. http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/envirohort/factsheets2/tree/jan90pr4.html You can click on a direct link when you find this column at my Web site, www.landsteward.org

I am not a fan of fertilizing trees or shrubs their first year or so in the ground, especially since the maple needs to heal from its damage. Fertilizing should be based on results from soil tests as the purpose of fertilize is to bring the soil up to balanced. The best thing to do for trees or shrubs (as I suggested in my answer above) is to apply a good thick layer of mulch/aged compost mix around the base of each plant leaving a welled area around their immediate base so the mix doesn’t touch the trunk.

Thank you for your inquiry. I hope you are having a wonderful summer in your new home!

QUESTION: “I have a large concrete bird bath that has a red algae film. I can empty the bird bath and clean it out, but the red algae comes right back. Is there a way to get rid of it without harming the porous concrete or the birds that drink from it?” – Jan Cook

ANSWER: It’s almost impossible to prevent algae, but you can control it. Wash out the bird bath with a solution of bleach and water, using a “pot scrubber” brush and be sure to rinse it thoroughly three times. I would imagine that your bird bath is in full sun so that will create more algae then if it is in the shade. You can purchase some algae inhibitors at your local pet store but check the label to be sure it won’t harm the birds.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve's free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

Dog-damaged lawns need creative landscape solutions

Pets are people too, even if they have twice as many legs and (usually) more body hair than the other members of the family. Having our pets outdoors with us can add to our enjoyment and it can help to keep them fit and healthy.

Today, I’ll share some ideas about incorporating “pet friendly” features into your landscape. But what about the, uh, less pleasant aspect of what happens when dogs and lawns get together?

Let’s clean up some of those issues first!

When it comes to solid waste, it is essential to clean up promptly after your dog with a pooper-scooper and a plastic bag. This is an obvious precaution if your dogs share your yard with your kids, but even if your landscape is a “kid-free zone” you’ll want to avoid kneeling or stepping in Fido’s droppings and dealing with the flies they attract. We keep a supply of recycled plastic grocery bags on hand that work just as well as the pet store bags.

Dog urine is less easy to deal with. If your dog is urinating on the lawn, it seems that you can either resign yourself to the brown spots or immediately flush the area each time with a garden hose.

There are products available that can be fed to dogs in order to neutralize the acid in his or her urine. However, I’m aware of concerns that altering a dog’s pH level can lead to serious health issues, and it’s not a treatment I’d recommend.

I’m more comfortable with treating the grass rather than the dog. There are a number of products on the market that are designed to treat brown spots caused by canine urine. Products with names such as Bring Back Green and G-Whiz are available online or at pet and garden stores.

But if you can live without acres of lawn, consider an alternative that could have several advantages. Replace a reasonably-sized area of lawn with gravel and you’ll find that most dogs actually prefer to do their business there rather than on grass. In addition to reducing or eliminating the brown spots on your lawn, you’ll find that solid waste is much easier to pick up from gravel than from grass.

Your best bet is to use ¾ inch gravel to prevent it being tracked into the house, as can happen with finer gravel. Lay down the gravel to a thickness of about 2” to 3” and pack it down firmly with a heavy tamper that you can buy or rent from larger hardware stores. There are a number of ornamental gravels available if you’d prefer something other than plain old grey.
Edging the gravel area with bricks or pavers will prevent the gravel from spreading over to your lawn.

When it comes to dog houses, it used to be that your choice was limited to one design that looked like something Snoopy would sleep on. Not any more!
Now you can find a variety of structures that are not only comfortable for your pet but are also pleasing to look at. Instead of being something of a visual blight that you were resigned to (rather like the garbage can) many of these new structures blend in pleasantly with your landscape design or create an architectural statement of their own.

I’ve seen doggy log cabins, dog houses with covered porches, dog chalets and dog bungalows… even mini-mansions for pampered pooches. Cheryl and I bought one (not the mansion, however) and if Snoopy could see it, he’d definitely want to sleep IN it rather than ON it!

You can research some of these new breeds of dog houses online, but if you’d like some shopping information, send me a note at steve@landsteward.org and I’ll try to help.

With a comfortable, attractive dog house and a clean, mess-free lawn, your landscape can be a source of enjoyment for you and for your dogs.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve's free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

Trellis and vine provide narrow space privacy

QUESTION: “I own a little Cape Cod built in the 1940's. It sits on a 40 x 120 lot, which doesn't leave much space between the neighbors' houses. I'd like to have a privacy screen on the one side of the house, but there is only about 8 feet between the homes. My property line is only four feet from the wall of my house. I need the screen because the neighbor's kitchen window over their sink looks directly into my bedroom window. I always keep the blinds drawn now but it is so stuffy during nice weather and I'd like to have the option of opening the window.

“I've considered a fence (expensive), a trellis w/a vine (not sure what kind), or a tree or bush of some type (scary - too close to house). Is there any plant that the roots wouldn't push against the foundation if I plant it that close to my house? It is a westerly-facing wall that gets all the afternoon sun… the peony bushes that are there now love it. Thanks for any guidance you can supply.” – Sue

ANSWER: In a tight space such as the one you describe, I believe your idea about a trellis and vine would be the best solution. Something that would stay green most of the year would be English Ivy. The trellis need not be too large or too expensive if you only need privacy for one or two windows and it is unlikely to be offensive to the neighbors.

QUESTION: “I recently saw your article about “Oak trees targeted by voracious caterpillars,” and the same scenario happened to me two years ago.
One of my oaks, around 10-15 years old, seems not to have recovered and I didn’t see any leaves coming back this year or last. How do I know if it is really dead? It just looks like it now…with no leaves.

“Now another oak, close to the first one, is also missing its leaves on one third of its branches. Does that mean that it is on his way to die? I checked the trees and didn’t see either fungus or ants or caterpillars. Let me know what you think I should do at that point as I would like not to lose those great oaks on my land.” – Beatrice Moreland

ANSWER: This is a serious condition that is beginning to affect oaks in many areas of the country. It is not just the caterpillars and we need to treat the cause and not just the symptoms. The cause in many areas is lack of good nutrition and water. Drought causes stress to our trees. Lack of organic material in the first 10 inches of soil where the plants get their nutrients is a problem. The most important thing that needs to be done is to improve the soil and make sure the trees have adequate water. When they are healthy the insects are less likely to attack. Insects are like anything else in that they attack unhealthy or weakened plants rather than the healthy ones.

QUESTION: “I have a peony that was given to me about 5 years ago. It grows each year but has never bloomed. I moved it to a new home this year in the fall and fertilized it when I replanted it but it still won't bloom. Can I do anything to force it?” – C. Hall

ANSWER: This is something I do with wisteria. Try putting one tablespoon of Epsom salts in one gallon of water and pour around the base of the plant. It may not work this year since most have already bloomed. However, this fall after the plant goes dormant and then right before it come out in spring, try the treatment. Do not fertilize anymore since that promotes top growth but does not help it to bloom.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve's free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

Treat ailing tree to a “fertilizer stake dinner”

Trees add so much to your landscape. Apart from the aesthetic appeal of their beauty, they provide cooling shade for your home and garden. A mature leafy tree can produce as much oxygen in a season as ten people can inhale in a year.

But when trees have problems, they can be BIG problems, as these readers discovered.

QUESTION: “We have a maple, not a silver one, that has been in the ground maybe twenty years but still looks spindly. This spring was hard on it and it looks half-dead. Is there anything I should do to help it? It is in open lawn and there is no reason that I can see as to why it is doing so poorly.” – Karen Meyer

ANSWER: There are many things you can try to do as a homeowner. One of the simplest is to fertilize the tree using a product called Jobe tree stakes. Directions come with it but it is as simple as pounding in the fertilizer stakes at the drip line of the trees.

For mature trees such as the one you describe you will use three stakes for every two inches of trunk diameter, measured at chest height. For example, five stakes will feed a tree with a three inch trunk diameter, and so on. Using the plastic driving cap, tap stakes into the ground, spaced evenly at tree's drip line. The drip line is directly below the ends of the longest branches.

Another suggestion would be to contact an arborist in your area who deals in larger trees. Here is a link to find one. http://asca-consultants.org/directory/index.cfm You can also click on a direct link to that directory when you find this column at my Web site, www.landsteward.org

QUESTION: “I have a Japanese Purpleleaf Sand Cherry at the front corner of my house. It’s about six years old and is quite a size. It is part of my landscape. Around the tree I have evergreens, rhododendron, day lilies, hostas and flowering bushes. I have noticed that the leaves are not as big as last year’s and it has a lot of black dots along the branches and some sort of white stuff. What is it and what can I do to save the tree? Please respond ASAP if you can as I don’t want the tree to die if I can save it.” – Teresa Fallone

ANSWER: It sounds like you have some kind of insect infection. You could try a product I’ve been using called Take Down Garden Spray. It contains a mixture of pyrethrin and canola oil. It is safe to use on vegetables and fruit trees as well as on groundcover, shrubs, houseplants, etc. Readers have told me they’ve had success with Take Down controlling Japanese Beetles, aphids, mealy bugs and so on.

From what you tell me, it may be necessary to spray several times over the next few weeks. Also, you may experience some die back because of this. Once you see some of the tips or light branches dying, you need to trim them back to reshape the bush. Let me know how it works out for you.

QUESTION: “I had a weeping willow planted a year ago. It has done well and is about 9 or 10 feet tall. We are in a severe drought right now. How often should I water this tree and for how long at a time? I don't want to over water it.” – Mary Chase

ANSWER: During the drought I would water once per week. You need to do deep watering to get to the roots not just standing with hose. As I’ve said here before, use a five gallon bucket filled with water and small 1/8 inch holes on the side at the base. The water coming out that slowly will be more likely to reach the roots.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve's free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

The no-sweat warm weather landscape

With July almost here and the dog days just ahead, there’s a temptation to stay inside with the air-conditioning rather than go outside and sizzle in the sunshine.

But your plants are like needy kids, wanting you to provide them with food and water while protecting them from those weed bullies. Let’s find a no-sweat, or at least a low-sweat, way to give your lawn and landscape the TLC they crave without incurring a case of heatstroke.

Here’s rule number one, and like most good ideas, it is as simple as it is obvious: Stay inside when it’s hot outside. Duh, right? Sure it might be obvious, but I still see a lot of people, red-faced and sweating, kneeling in their yard under a broiling midday sun as if it was somehow a character-building exercise. Believe me, toiling in the heat won’t earn you any brownie points in heaven. But you might get there a little sooner than you expected.

The early bird catches the worm, but she doesn’t catch sunstroke.

And it’s not just you. Your lawn and shrubs will derive far greater benefit when they receive your attention in the cool of the early morning rather than the heat of the day.

Watering lawns and shrubs is a prime concern at this time of year, so let’s have a quick review of some basic low-sweat watering activities.

Watering shrubs

If you’re experiencing hot, dry weather, or perhaps even a drought, these guidelines should be helpful in maintaining the health of your shrubs or at least helping them survive.

Rather than using a sprinkler system, apply the water directly to the root system of each plant. Slow, patient application allows the water to be absorbed by the soil and is more efficient than a sprinkler system.

When watering directly to a plant’s roots with a hose, use a wand or an attachment that sprays the water out like rain. A hard gush of water direct from a plain hose will wash away soil from around the roots and is more likely to run off over the compacted dry soil.

If you are watering a small shrub (under, say, four feet tall), water for about one minute which will deliver approximately five gallons of water. For shrubs over four feet, a good rule of thumb is to add an extra 15 seconds of watering time for each additional foot of height.

Weeding is another chore that’s best done before the sun is up too high in the sky. You’ll be cooler and the weeds are more likely to pull away from dew-moistened soil.

Watering lawns

As I have pretty much hammered home, water your lawn in the early morning. At that time, the dew is still on the grass and the water is more likely to soak into the soil and not run off.

Water the lawn thoroughly but not too frequently. Allowing grass to become slightly drought-stressed encourages stronger rooting.

A good sign that a lawn is ready to be watered is when you see footprints in the grass after you’ve walked across it, instead of the blades springing back up.

Frequent, shallow watering can result in shallower root systems and more weeds, including crabgrass.

However, a lawn that is newly seeded or sodded does need to be watered frequently enough to keep the surface fairly moist while it becomes established.

When it comes to mowing, remember that “taller” is an attribute that makes Hollywood stars and grass look more attractive. Don’t mow your lawn to anything less than a height of three inches during the summer. Why? Fewer weed problems, stronger roots and more of a lush look.

If the lawn does turn brown because of a really dry summer, it‘s not the end of the world. In all likelihood, it will survive through its dormant period and come back, strong and green, next spring.

Make your garden part of your early morning regimen and save the sweat for a gym workout!

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve's free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org