Anne Clapp: The cicadas should not cause any major damage to the plants. If you are concerned about the grubs eating the roots you could treat the area with an insecticide for grubs.

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Question: Dear Anne, I live in Long Beach, CA and I'm trying to locate some 6” plastic pots …quart size. I want quite a few of them…. Do you know of a nursery supply where I could order a large amount from? Thank you so much! Beth B.

Anne Clapp: I advise you to check with some local nurseries or orchid growers to find a supplier. With shipping costs I am sure our east coast suppliers would be expensive.

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Question: Hi Anne, I was wondering when would be the best time to replant boxwood bushes. We live in St. Louis, MO and have 12 medium size boxwoods surrounding a patio. We planted them 4 years ago and now realize we want to expand the patio and move the bushes approximately 20 feet into the yard. Should we do this now, in the fall, or should we wait to do it in the spring? Thanks so much! Ann R.

Anne Clapp: I am a southern gardener who transplants evergreens in the fall so they can develop a root system during the late fall and early winter but our ground is seldom frozen for more than a day or two in the winter. I would consult someone who has transplanted boxwoods in the St. Louis area for advice. Try your cooperative extension master gardeners or someone at the botanical garden.

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Question: Dear Anne, We are in Jacksonville, Fl. and have an old Sassanqua tree that was probably planted soon after the house was built in 1927. It is quite large. It is too close on the roof and is very lopsided where they have trimmed it away from the house over the generations. What is the best approach to care and trimming of this old and very neat tree. Thanks, Diane G.

Anne Clapp: The best solution to pruning the sasanqua camellia is probably to gradually reduce the circumference of the plant so it will not interfere with the roof. Camellias can be grown as espaliered plants so making it fairly flat on the side next to the house is not a problem. You may want to reduce the height of the plant – or at least not let it get any taller. It is safe to remove about 1/3 of the growth on a plant in any one year so it may take you two or three years to get the plant into shape. November, December and January are good months to do the pruning.

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Question: Do you know of a source for pink (Samantha) and white (Monroe) liriope. I live in Raleigh and would like to purchase some within a reasonable distance. Thanks.

Anne Clapp: You should have luck finding them at one of the independent garden centers such as Atlantic Avenue, Garden Supply, Homewood, Fairview and The Garden Hut. Their nursery managers can usually special order plant material if it is not currently in stock.

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Question: When is the best time to trim wisteria shubbery? And when and how do you plant the beans(seeds in the pods)? Thank you. Robert C.

Anne Clapp: The seeds may be planted in the spring but you have no idea how many years it will take for the plants to bloom. Wisteria blooms on new spring growth; to keep the plants under control and keep them from taking over the world you have to keep them trimmed all summer long. They may be pruned severely in the summer.

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Question: I am writing in regards to a habiscus my wife bought at a Lowes store. We were told by friends that the habiscus would have to be brought in for the winter. We have misplaced the info tab that usually comes with most plants that tells one how to care, where to plant, i.e. shady, sunny,etc. Are there habiscus plants that are hardy enuf to survive cold weather? (we live in the panhandle of West Virginia). If so, is there a way of telling whether this variety of habiscus is intended to be left outside for the winter? The habiscus has become fairly well established and to us it would be a shame to dig it up, put it in a pot and move it indoors for the winter. Can you help?

Thanks much Steve from WVA

Anne Clapp: I do not know of any hibiscus that will survive a winter outdoors in West Virginia. Even those that are considered to be outdoor plants are not hardy in Zone 6 of West Virginia.

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Question: We have 24 4-feet tall leyland cypress trees and we haven't had alot of rain in months. How often should we water our trees and how much at a time should we give them? Thank you.

Anne Clapp: A newly planted Leyland would like 2 inches of water a week during its first summer to get established. Using a soaker hose at the base of the plants and running the water for at least four hours will provide enough water to keep them going. If the soil does not absorb water quickly you may have to water a few minutes to soften the soil surface and then wait for about 30 minutes to apply the rest of the water.

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Question: I am in Raleigh and about to overseed my tall fescue lawn in the front, and sod my backyard with tall fescue, but city water restrictions are imminent. The landscaping company says both the seed and the sod will be fine being watered only three times per week. Do you agree? Thanks, Cathy

Anne Clapp: There should not be any problem with the sod if the soil is properly prepared ahead of time. There are a lot of “ifs” on overseeding; if the weather will stay cool, if we don't have much wind, if we have some rain during the next three weeks and if you lightly cover the seed with straw to protect it you can get seed to germinate and root with early morning watering three times a week. Good luck!

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Question: All my roses only produced suckers this year and did not bloom. Why, and what can I do to make them bloom again? Thanks, Bonnie

Anne Clapp: I am concerned that your rose bush produced only suckers this year. Is it possible that the graft union of the plant has been damaged and the only material left is the rootstock that was used for grafting the rose that used to bloom? Many roses used for grafting stock are once-blooming roses that bloom on year old wood. The suckers would bloom next spring but the roses would not be like the rose you hoped to have bloom. Most modern roses will bloom on current season growth. They need at least 6 hours of sun and even moisture to bloom. Keeping the plants fertilized and producing new growth during the season usually produces blooms.

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Question: We planted a "red Crape Myrtle tree" this spring. It was doing nicely and flowers were starting to bloom on the top branches, however lately the bottom leaves have a black tar-like substance and little white dots on them Help! We would hate to lose our lovely tree. Thanks, The Robinsons

Anne Clapp: I think your crepe myrtle has been attacked by aphids that have left a secretion of sugar that turns to sooty mold on the leaves of the plant. It won't kill the tree and I don't spray mine. You could try using a horticultural oil spray to soften the mold and smother the insects. A good ston rain will wash the residue off after you spray.

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Question: Anne, I listen to your show whenever I get the chance. I'm hoping you can provide some advice to save a gardenia in trouble.

We bought the gardenia (shaped like a 4' high small tree) from a garden shop last spring and replanted it in a pot. It did well last year on our deck which gets mostly shade. We brought it inside over the winter and by this spring it didn't seem to be doing well -- black raised spots on bottom of some leaves. We put it outside on a covered porch and sprayed it twice with an insecticide. Seemed like it was getting better for a while but it has now gotten worse. None of the leaves look healthy and the buds that were there are now black. Can I prune it back to try to save it and apply the insecticide again? If so how far do I prune back?

Thanks for any help you can offer. Lisa, Raleigh

Anne Clapp: I think your plant did not get enough sun. It is a sun loving plant that needs a very large pot for a 4 foot tall plant. It also needs some cold night time temperatures which it may not have gotten inside over the winter. You might try spraying it with an insecticidal soap. Leave the spray on the plant for about 30 minutes and then wash the plant off with a strong spray of water from the hose. That may get rid of the insect problem and will help clean the leaves of the plant.

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Question: I have a crepe myrtle tree its's about 10 months old. Part of it's leaves are turning brown. Is that normal? please tell me what i can do about it. Thank you, Louise

Anne Clapp: It sounds like your crepe myrtle is suffering from lack of water. Until it has been in the ground a year it does need to be watered if Mother Nature doesn't provide an inch of water a week.

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Question: Dear Anne, My husband received a beautiful rubber tree plant from his mother's funeral in January of this year. The plant did wonderfully in our den by a window that provides adequate sunlight, but not strong light. About a month ago, we noticed that leaves were falling off, but the new leave buds stopped appearing. Now we are left with a totally bald rubber tree plant with branches that are curling and one has fallen off! Did we overwater it? Does it need more sunlight? Is there any hope for it or is it dead? My husband is heartbroken that he may have killed this plant and I'm desperate to save it. Is there anything we can do? Cordially, Tenika L.

Anne Clapp: I think is may have been overwatered- and not gotten enough sunlight. I would repot the plant in a good quality potting soil. Keep the soil evenly moist but do not allow the plant to stand in water. Give the plant a bit more light and keep it out of the drafts from air conditioning and heat vents. Don't fertilize the plant until new growth starts to appear.

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Question: We have seven American Boxwood Bushes in front of our house. They have grown too high. I need to reduce the height fo them by about 7 to 12 inches . I don't want to hurt the bushes . Do I take it down by a few inches at different times or can I cut about 8 inches off at one time? Thanks for any help you can give me . N. Poole.

Anne Clapp: The general rule of thumb for pruning is not to remove more than 1/3 of the height of a plant in one season. If your boxwoods are 3 feet tall there should be no problem removing 7 to 12 inches of height. To have a prettier shape to the plants you may want to cut limbs back into the center of the plant to reduce the height. If you just shear the outside edges of the plant you produce a very dense outer layer and the inside limbs of the plant die back from lack of light and air.

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Question: My christmas cactus recently went limp. For a time it seemed to recover, but again has drooped. what went wrong? Can I save it?

Anne Clapp: When the plant goes limp it is usually a sign of drought. The plant may need to be watered more frequently - and if it is in full sun outside it may need a bit of protection for the midday sun. Christmas cactus need to be repotted at least every third year so you may need to repot the plant.

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Question: We live on the Texas gulf coast just north of Corpus Christi. We have a gardenia that has grown about 1 1/2 ft tall and about the same across. It receives filtered morning sun only. It is lush and green but it never blooms. Is there anything I can give it to get some blooms? Darlene H, Texas

Anne Clapp: Gardenias are a sun-loving plant so it is probably not getting enough light for good bloom. Lush green leaves may be a sign of too much nitrogen fertilizer. You might try using one of the organic fertilizers produced for acid loving plants – such as the Espoma fertilizer for azaleas and rhododendrons. The products are slow release for continuous feeding and they have a higher phosphorous content, the middle number in the fertilizer label.

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Question: Dear Anne: We live in the panhandle of Florida, Panama City, on the Bay. We have several Wax Myrtles in the back yard. They are mature trees about 20 feet high.

Last night one of the tree's leaves turned brown. The tree appears to be dead. I know the tree cannot die that quickly, but what could cause all the leaves to turn brown in a single night?

The other two wax Myrtles have branches where the leaves are dead. My wife and I are bewildered. Do you know what could be causing the problems or suggestions of what to do?

Several years ago we had a hurricane that submerged the trees for a day or so in salt water. The trees did fine. Last month another hurricane caused our back yard to be flooded with salt water, but the trees looked fine afterwards. I don't believe the salt water could be causing the problem since nothing happened for a month after the last submerging, but I pass along the information just in case. I would very much appreciate any advice you could give us. - John

Anne Clapp: The problem may be from a combination of salt water and other conditions. On the Carolina coast we have no problem when there is adequate rain after a storm to leach the salt out of the ground. Trees also appear more affected when there are high temperatures following exposure and continued high winds. When ground- water tables remain high after a storm, damage from drowning in brackish water can be a problem. As one of my arborist friends would say “how long can you hold your breath under water?” Sometimes applying gypsum in an area that has received salt damage will counteract the effects of the excess salts but it has to be done quickly. It is the same chemical that those living in the snow belt use to counteract the effects of the salts used to melt ice and snow.

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Question: Hi Anne, I have a nice wrap around front porch and would like to put some hanging baskets out this year. Can you recommed some flowers and vines. Thanks, Libby

Anne Clapp: This late in the season it might be hard to find vining plants for hanging baskets. Ivy works and so does Creeping Jennie (lyssimachia); the gold toned ones are very attractive with bronze and purple plants. Chrysanthemums are readily available, asters can be attractive as well. The flowering vegetables such as kale, cabbage and mustard greens make nice round mounds in a basket. Pansies give a shorter covering plant.

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Question: What time of year is it o.k. to replant wax leaf myrtles? I live in Florida and did not know if if was too hot right now to dig up and replant. Thanks, Dianne N.

Anne Clapp: Wax myrtles are better transplanted during their dormant season which is usually December and January. Keep them well watered when you transplant them so the root system can develop before the new growth does.

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Question: Dear Anne: We have four crepe myrtles in our back yard and they have suddenly developed a sticky residue and are dropping leaves. They lost most of the blooms last week and the leaves are now falling. We live in North Texas and it has been 90+degress for the last 60 days. We have been watering, but we are wondering what could be causing this. We also have a crepe myrtle in the Front yard that appears to be fine. Any suggestions? Pam

Anne Clapp: I would check for signs of insect damage, especially white flies. Another problem could be the pH of the soil. Crepe myrtles are partial to acidic soil and the soil in that section may have become more alkaline as some north Texas land is. The high temperatures should not hurt the plants at all. They are used to 90 degree days.

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Question: Anne, Thank you for having this forum for the non-green-thumbs of us to ask important questions…so now to my question.

Q: I have 15 new Leyland Cypress trees planted across the back of my yard on a burm that was raised by a mixture of existing clay and new top soil. On top of this is a nice layer of mulch. The burm has been raised at least 12-14” higher than the original height – which was already a good foot or so off the ground from the rest of my yard. The trees lie at the apex of the burm, and I have not seen any evidence of a draining problem. These trees are at least 8-9ft in height, and were planted towards the beginning of September this year. I followed the watering advice of our landscaper at the beginning when the trees looked beautiful, and very green. Now, the branches are starting to feel dry and somewhat crumbly to the touch, and have the appearance of “shriveling” – with a slowly growing browning appearing. I have looked up the different types of problems that these trees have, and have not found a single symptom that would suggest one over the other. I can't seem to find what I would consider a canker, and even though there is yellowing/browning, I'm not sure if root rot is in play. There is no evidence of bagworms either. My landscapers came out and suggested that they weren't getting enough water, and I can see how that might be concluded from the appearance and texture of the tree branches. I am watering them only once a day starting around 6:30 am. I have pop-up sprinkler heads that form 180-degree cones – spaced about 4' from the tree center on each side of the line of trees. Each side is a “zone” on my irrigation system, and both zones run 20 minutes each – therefore, each tree is getting about 40 minutes of water total each day in the morning. There is a pretty steady breeze that blows through my back yard, so I'm not sure if that is affecting the ability of the water from fully hitting the tree as it comes out, but the mulch around the base of the trees seems to be covered completely by spray. The landscapers have discussed coming out to take a branch and get it looked at, and I'm concerned that whatever it is that is affecting my trees is going to take its toll in the short term before a solution is found. I'm not sure if a fungicide is needed, and if it is, I don't know what kind to get – because I'm not sure the exact condition. Any suggestions?

Again, thank you very much for providing this service – we all appreciate it. Michael

Anne Clapp: I am reasonable sure the problem is one of moisture not disease. With a raised bed planting water does drain fairly quickly so I would pull back the mulch in a place or two and check the soil to see how dry the ground is in the afternoon. With the current sprinkler pattern you may only be getting the top inch or so of the bed watered. With new plantings deep watering is important, especially when we have as much wind as we have had recently. More water gets blown out of the needles of evergreens than they can take up in moisture from the ground. You may find that a soaker hose for the fall and winter may be a better solution to your watering for the short term.

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Question: Dear Anne, I was given a plant whose name I don't know. I would love to identify it! The plant lives indoors in my climate. It has tough, woody stems and rubbery leaves that grow out of the sides of other leaves. Once a year in summer, a gigantic bud forms from the side of a leaf. The bud blooms only for a few hours - a huge (4-5” in diameter), white blossom like a passion flower with many petals and tendrils, which emit an amazing perfume - and then dies. Do you know what it is? Thank you, Carol

Anne Clapp: Could it be a night blooming cereus?

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Question: Hello. We recently bought a house and are quite embarrassed by the smell of male cat urine as you walk up the sidewalk to the front door. The front of the house is lined with boxwood bushes and someone told us that boxwoods smell like male cat urine. Do you know if this is true or do you think it more likely that there is a male cat using the bush beds in the front of the house to do his business? If you think it is a cat, perhaps you could forward your ideas on how to deter the little critter from the front of our house. Don't get me wrong, I do like cats. I have one. Female inside only cat and she does not smell bad or leave any type of odor in the house. Looking forward to your response. Thank You! Charlene

Anne Clapp: I like the woodsy, clean odor of boxwoods; I don't like the odor of cat urine. If you have a female cat in residence there may be a male cat coming courting. There are some sprays available in garden centers that will deter cats but they have to be replenished after every rain. Some people have put chicken wire(also called poultry netting) flat on the ground around areas where they have a problem with cats. The cats get spooked trying to walk on an unstable footing.

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Question: I live close to Orlando, Florida. Two years ago a friend of mine gave me a branch with roots of Jasmine Grandiflora. I grew it in flower pots and then last year I putit in the ground in the plain sun. It grew huge with beautiful the strongest aroma flowers. This Summer it is dying slowly from the inside branches. Even the flowers die on it. I noticed that there are no weeds under it and my gardener in the past has killed two small azaleas and a viburnum with weed killers. Could the weed killer have destroyd my beautiful plant? Is there an antidote to save it? Please help me I am so desperate. I have not found this plant in any local nursery. Please help me save this extraordinary plant! Thank you. Dimitri

Anne Clapp: It does sound like your jasmine might be injured with the application of an herbicide. There is no cure once the plant has been injured.

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Question: Hi Anne, I have a lilac bush that has a white looks almost like powder on it. The leaves that is. Do you have any idea what this may be? Lori

Anne Clapp: I think your lilacs have the disease called powdery mildew. It has been rampant on dogwoods and phlox this year and it does attack lilacs. This late in the year there is really no reason to treat the plants with a fungicide as they will be losing their leaves quite soon. The organic gardeners use a baking soda solution to spray on the plants when the first signs of the disease occur. The chemical spray that seems to work the best is Immunox.

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Question: Hi Anne, While pulling crabgrass from lawn I observed grubs coming up with the roots. The funny thing is there is a spit like secretion around the grubs. I applied milky spore in June and could secretion be an 'after effect' of milky spore attacking the grubs? Regards, DP

Anne Clapp: Your grubs are sick with the milky spore disease. Those that are left in that sickened condition in the lawn spread the disease to other grubs. By leaving the dead grubs in the lawn the disease spores remain in the soil for many years.

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Question: Hey, Anne. I bought some new greenery(sp?). The infomation on the pot was vague, only saying tropical foiliage. It's leaves are a long tear-drop shape. Could you tell me how to care for it? Sunlight? Water? Thanks!! Mandy

Anne Clapp: That's the problem with the “tropical foliage” label that is used in so many big box stores. There is no way to know what the plant might be and how to care for it. Some tropical plants like sun; others don't. Most tropical plants do like to be kept moist. It will need bright light during the day – but that could be northern exposure like African violets or southern exposure like hibiscus. In general, plants with colorful foliage like more sun that dark green leafed ones.

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Question: Anne, My father-in-law listens to your Saturday morning show faithfully each week and recommended I email you with my question. I have purchased a home with a lawn that is in complete disrepair and I want to basically start over. The front gets full sun all day and the back gets full sun 1/3 of the day. The soil is extremely sandy though I plan on topdressing it with soil when I seed. I am looking for some advice on the type of grass to plant. Sod is cost prohibitive at this point so it would need to be seed. I prefer a fescue type grass over the zyosia/bermuda types, but even with that there are so many varieties out there it is tough to make a decision. Do you have any thoughts? Thanks in advance. Aaron

Anne Clapp: Fescue grass should grow well in both areas of your yard. Instead of using top soil which usually contains a lot of weed seeds you might try a composted manure for top dressing or finely ground pine bark that has been composted. (One of our WPTF sponsors, Landscape Supply, has several good products available.) The prettiest fescue lawns I know of are combinations of several types of fescue. Tony Avent combines the seeds from two or three suppliers so he has a blend of six or seven varieties. In the back yard where you have less sun make sure you have a lot of creeping red fescue in the blend. For the best luck, kill out the existing weeds and grass, wait for 10 days (or more if the weed killer you use is labeled for a longer time).

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Question: Do you need to prune a pussy willow bush and if so when should it be done? It has many new branches which look somewhat leggy. Thanks for your help. Faye

Anne Clapp: Most people cut their pussy willow plants back in February and use the branches for decoration in the house. The proper time to prune it back is in late winter and spring up to the time the plant leafs out.

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Question: Hi Anne, I have a very serious Toad Stool problem on my recently installed sod. I pick two to three hundred off of my lawn every morning so that my baby doesn't find and eat them. We put down soil amendments with 50/50 dirt mix and a light sprinkle of fertilizer before the sod. We over watered it for three weeks because that is how my gardener said to do it. The grass looked great at that time. I was told that we over watered it so I cut back on the water and now the grass is not doing as well and the toad stools keep growing. Someone suggested Sulfate of Ammonia to kill the toad stools. What do you think? Thank you, AG

Anne Clapp: Ammonia sulfate has so much nitrogen it would harm the new grass. The new sod does need to be watered to keep it growing. The fungi are probably coming from the organic material in the soil mix you used or if you purchased sod it could have been grown on a mushroom compost base. So far as I know the only way to keep them under control is to pick them out as you were doing. Keeping a baby in a playpen on a blanket is about the only suggestion for keeping the fungi out of its mouth.

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Question: Anne, It is early September and correct me if I'm wrong, I have just spread limestone on my fescue lawn in preparation for core aeration, over seeding and fertilizing in two weeks... is this the proper method and timing. Also, with all the choices in grass seed at the local garden centers, is there one type that you favor. My lawns are high traffic (3 kids, 2 dogs) with very light shade. Thanks for your time.

Anne Clapp: Your basic technique sounds fine to me. My suggestion is usually to sow a mixture of several types of fescue, no Kentucky 31. Some of the prettiest lawns have a blend of six or seven varieties. They get the mixture by combining seed mixtures from two or more producers.

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Question: Dear Anne, We have a problem with gophers. I read an article recently suggesting the use of a granular form of castor oil will encourage them to move elsewhere. Would you suggest this as an effective method and if so, where would one find this product? What other alternatives would you suggest? We have tried the use of the battery operated "stakes" that emit some noise but have found these not to work. Would the same treatment work for voles, which we also have? Thank you, Roxie

Anne Clapp: Voles may be trapped with mouse traps baited with peanut butter and apple. Not being a gardener in an area with gophers I don't know what will work. The vibrating stakes do not work in my garden nor does a castor bean plant seem to deter voles.

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Question: Dear Anne, I have 25 leyland cypress in my back yard, they are 12 years old and at least 18 ft. tall doing great until now. They are all turning rust and look bad. Some branches and trunks have sap coming out. it seems to be spreading, I cannot see any insects on them . Can you offer any advice. Thanks, Rick M.

Anne Clapp: There is a passalora needle blight disease on Leyland cypress in several areas in North Carolina. You may want to take an infected branch to your local co-operative extension office for identification. To the best of my knowledge there is no cure for the disease at this time.