Query: My muhly grass crops are flowering however have grown fairly giant. When can I prune them again?
Reply: Take pleasure in this colourful flowering decorative grass effectively into fall and early winter. Steadily the pinkish flowering parts flip brown and develop into wind whipped. Muhly grass in all areas of the state profit from a late winter pruning that removes most foliage and flowering parts to inside a foot of the bottom.
Q. I used to be not at residence when the hurricane blew via. I’ve three Japanese blueberry bushes. One of many three had all leaves stripped off utterly however the different two are high quality. Is that this storm-related or illness?
A. Leaves are firmly hooked up to wholesome Japanese blueberry bushes. The truth that just one had the leaves eliminated suggests the defoliated one was having an issue that weakened the tree. This might have began the leaf-loss course of and the hurricane winds did the remainder. Examine the stems of the broken tree for indicators of inexperienced underneath the bark. If moist and with some inexperienced there’s a likelihood the tree might sprout new shoots with leaves over a number of weeks of excellent rising situations.
Q. I’m having an issue with one in every of my foxtail ferns in a entrance shrub mattress with 4 others. It’s the one one in decline. What can I do to revive the plant?
Plant Physician: Some mild pruning now might deliver extra blooms to impatiens
A. Examine your planting web site for an excessive amount of water. The accompanying e-mail photograph confirmed a really yellow plant with what seems to be damp soil. Different foxtail crops weren’t within the photograph however close by ornamentals seemed to be affected by extreme water too. The planting web site seems to be a bit low and should accumulate water. I’d raise the plant and add soil to boost the bottom degree after which replant.
Q. My chook of paradise appears to be like very wholesome and it does attempt to flower however the flowers by no means totally open. They’re all ugly and gnarled. Is that this as a result of the plant is crowded or is it diseased?
A. Open one of many buds and test for mealybug or different bugs. Your plant in an e-mail photograph could be very wholesome being an excellent inexperienced shade. Chook of paradise crops flower greatest when crowded, so transplanting most likely gained’t clear up the issue. If bugs will not be current this might be a minor nutrient deficiency and an utility of minor vitamins discovered to be used in landscapes at unbiased backyard facilities could assist. Additionally ensure you plant has sufficient moisture when flowering.
Q. I want to develop a dense podocarpus hedge. How usually do I prune the crops?
A. Upright and fairly compact, podocarpus could make a hedge of about any dimension. Typically it’s chosen for slender areas the place there’s minimal room for crops. Podocarpus is a really sturdy plant that when established can survive dry, poorer however well-drained soils and solar to mild shade. Begin trimming your crops when small, letting them develop 4 to 6 inches after which chopping them again two inches. Proceed to allow them to develop in peak and width and do pruning every time six inches of latest progress is produced. When the specified peak and width enable a number of inches of latest progress after which prune them again to the specified dimension. Podocarpus is one plant that doesn’t appear to thoughts pruning to the identical dimension every time.
Q. We have now camellias with parts of limbs coated with lichens and a few are dying. What can we do to manage the lichens?
A. Lichens are responsible solely by affiliation with the declining plant parts. They take nothing from the crops and solely use them for help. Lichens are a mixture of a fungus and algae that seem to develop greatest when crops are declining as a result of different pest or cultural issues. The usually thinning crops enable the lichens extra publicity to mild and water plus vitamins from decomposing plant parts. Examine to ensure your camellias are receiving sufficient water and fertilizer. The crops would really like a moist soil and feedings in March, Might and August the place permitted if wanted to encourage progress. You possibly can normally management lichens with a copper fungicide following label directions to be used along with your planting however the remedy could not treatment plant decline.
Q. My bush beans have a lot of flowers however few beans. What is required to get a greater crop?
A. Scorching early fall climate stored the beans rising, which produces a lot of foliage and flowers however few beans. In case you’ve been making use of frequent feedings, this reduces the bean set too. The arrival of cooler climate ought to assist with the fruit set. Keep in mind, beans receive nitrogen from the air with the assistance of soil micro organism. In case you add further nitrogen via fertilizer, it encourages progress and discourages fruiting. Seldom is greater than a starter fertilizer utility at planting wanted to acquire an excellent crop.
Tom MacCubbin is an city horticulturist emeritus with the College of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. Write him: Orlando Sentinel, P.O. Field 2833, Orlando, FL. 32802. Electronic mail: TomMac1996@aol.com.