Question: I purchased take root and took some clippings of a yellow bush and a tree my mother-in-law had and I put it in the take root and did what it said to do. I put in a pot of soil. I was wondering how long it would take to get the roots and when I could plant them outside. Hope you can help. Thanks, Tina

Anne Clapp: It is hard to predict when new roots will appear on a cutting. It depends on what time of year the cutting was taken and the species of the plant. After 8 weeks you can tug gently on the cuttings to see if they have rooted or you can gently remove the soil to see if roots have formed. If roots form you have better luck getting the plant to develop if you transfer the cutting to a small pot and allow the plant to continue to grow. It takes a year or so before they have a large enough root system to live outdoors on their own.

---------------------------
Question: I have a large wisteria vine covering wood canopy/ trellis. It's completely barren except for two blooms and no obvious activity. Living in sunny S. California does this seem odd? Do I have a dying vine and if so what can I do? Thanks!

Anne Clapp: Wisteria responds very well to sun, drastic pruning in the fall to produce new wood for blooms and removing fertilizer from its diet. It really does need to be pruned on a regular basis for consistent bloom.

---------------------------
Question: HELP!! Hi, Ann I live in Phoenix, Az. and I got some house plants and potting mix a few weeks ago. I was surprised to see mushrooms growing in my pots. One plant has had about 10 and others only 1 or 2. Is it the soil or something else? On some of them the top of the soil has green STUFF on it and around a few there are little knat bugs flying around. I through away my tulips because the soil was looking gross and there were tons of knats. I really don't want to toss out all my plants so soon. The plants themselves seem to be doing fine. Also, I had given the plants miracle gro plant food that you mix with the water. I don't know if that matters?

Please help!!! I am concerned about what might be growing in the pots with the plants. I have 3 young children and don't want to expose them to any thing harmful. Thx., Donna

Anne Clapp: The little knat things are probably soil fungus gnats that often grow in potting soil. They are pesky but not a health threat to anyone. The green stuff on top of the soil is probably algae that forms when there is too much nitrogen fertilizer and water in the soil. The mushrooms are probably there because the potting soil contained mushroom compost which is added to some potting mixes and sold as a soil amendment in many garden centers. None of these problems is going to be harmful to small children.

---------------------------
Question: Hi Anne, I have a 4-5 foot Hibiscuc plant that is currently indoors in a sunny location...I have noticed lately that there are white aphid looking insects builiding up very fast on the branches and now starting to spread to the leaves....what can I do/use to stop these insects? Thanks....John

Anne Clapp: White flies and aphids often infest new growth on hibiscus in the spring. The simplest and safest thing to do to get them under control is to take the plant outside on a warm day and give it a good bath with the hose, making sure you wash under the leaves of the plant. Insecticidal soap is a safe insecticide to use indoors but I would wash the plant off first. You can also keep the population of these insects under control by using one of the yellow sticky traps that some garden centers and catalogs that cater to organic gardeners carry.

---------------------------
Question: Dear Anne, I purchased a Ficus Bonsai. This is my first one. The leaves are turning brown and crisp. They then fall off. What am I doing wrong?. Thank you for your help. Laurie in Seattle.

Anne Clapp: I think the problem may be from uneven moisture or chlorine/fluorine salts in the water. Ficus seems to prefer rain water or tap water that is allowed to rest in a container for a day or two to allow chlorine and fluorine to dissipate. The soil should not be allowed to completely dry out between waterings so most actively growing bonsai in small containers need at least a light watering or misting every day. Ficus also does not like to be close to a stream of air from a heating or air conditioning system that will dry out its leaves.

---------------------------
Question: Dear Anne, I heard you mention a book about plants that thrive in North Carolina. I tried to remember the name of the book, but I forgot it. I know that the author was a female, and that the book can be found at Barnes and Noble. Thank you in advance for any help on this matter. I am a new homeowner and feel I need to do a little research before I start creating my landscape. Thanks, Katherine

Anne Clapp: The most recent gardening book I recommended is the new book by Pam Beck and Laura Peters called Best Garden Plants for North Carolina. An earlier book written by a former Durham County extension agent is Gardening in North Carolina by Toby Bost. A third book, which is much older but still my favorite reference, is Landscape Plants for the Carolinas by Gordon Halfacre.

---------------------------
Question: Hello Anne, I live in Roanoke, VA and my Bradford Pears are almost in full bloom. I've noticed hundreds of bugs flying around the tree all day for the past week or two. They look like gnats to me, but I have no clue. Hence the reason for my email. My fear is they may cause damage to the trees. Do you have any idea what they might be? Should I just leave them alone or should I purchase something to treat the trees? I've had the trees for approximately four years and have never noticed these bugs before. Any insight would be much appreciated. Thank you for your time. Take care, Jennifer D.

Anne Clapp: Welcome to the world of pollinating insects in the early spring. Bradford pears have a "strange" rotting flesh odor that attracts all sorts of insects looking for carrion and pollen. There are not a lot of other flowering plants around at this time so we do notice them more easily. They do no damage to the trees although visits from the insects do produce lots of little quarter inch diameter pears.

---------------------------
Question: Dear Anne, We bought some asparagus roots and on the front of the package it tells you to plant them 4 inches deep, on the back of the package it calls for 18 inches deep. How deep do you plant them in a raised bed? We also got some black mulch last fall. It is beautiful, but a few people have told me that it will kill any plants you put it around. Please advise. Thank you, Karen

Anne Clapp: Asparagus plants have a large root system so the ground needs to be worked at least 18 inches to provide a good rootbed. That means a deep bed with a lot of organic matter added. The roots you received are planted at a depth of 4 to 6 inches (I plant mine at 6” in Raleigh.) When you cover the roots and crown of the plant you fill the planting hole with 2 inches of soil so the crowns are two inches underground. When the new growth pops through the soil you add another two inches of soil. When the growth pops through that you add the last two inches of soil. Once they are growing they require little maintenance and the roots will last for 15 to 30 years in a good bed.

I have no idea what the content of the black mulch you got might be. I don't know how anyone could say it would kill plants unless there was steam coming off the pile of mulch when you put it around plants. Try it around one or two plants to see if there might be a problem if you are concerned.

---------------------------
Question: I have gotten lucky bamboo for a gift about a year ago. and now the pot which it was in has cracked. So what kind of pot do i need to replaceit with and how do i go about replanting it? if you would be so kind i would like step by step instructions. Also does it matter if it was in gravel before and should i replant it in gravel? I don't know if it matters but the plant has all straight stocks? Is it possible to to make the stocks curly? If so how? Thanks, Needy lucky bamboo owner

Anne Clapp: Lucky bamboo really should come with instructions attached. You are actually lucky the pot cracked and the plant must find a new home. The plant really does grow in water and gravel. When I repot mine I wash off the roots and stems and rinse off the gravel to get rid of the “gunk” that seems to build up. If you don't do that every year the plant will start to die. Then you just put the stalks in a new container of water, add gravel to arrange the stalks and hold them up straight. I have not had any luck getting stalks to become curly. You wait for new side-shoot growth to develop its fourth set of leaves and then start training the side shoot by curling it around a wood dowel. Good luck.

---------------------------
Question: Hi, Anne. I have three Shasta viburnums from a reputable wholesale nursery in the Triangle area, but after growing (and apparently thriving) for 3 years (2 blooming seasons), they have never bloomed. The plants are full, 6' tall, and in mostly full sun. What must I do to get them to bloom, and what tips can you provide for pruning/shaping them? Thanks! Clinton of Apex

Anne Clapp: There are several reasons your plants may not have bloomed. Plants often do not bloom the first year they are in a new garden because they are suffering transplant shock and prefer to grow roots and shoots instead of blooms. In some years viburnums will get hurt by cold weather; there are usually a few spots of color on a protected area of the plant. A third cause is use of too much nitrogen in the fertilizer schedule. This year you might use only a phosphorus compound in February. If all else fails try pruning one of the plants to see if that will stimulate blooming.

---------------------------
Question: Hi, I bought five Leyland cypress and have not planted them yet. I have a have wetlands on both sides of my property. Could I plant close to that area and, if not, where do they do best? Thanks, Ivelisse

Anne Clapp: Leyland cypress does not like to be planted in areas that are always damp. They need to be in a spot where the soil has very good drainage or the roots rot and the plant dies. If you can make a raised berm or soil you may be able to keep the roots above the water table of your wetland areas.

---------------------------
Question: Anne, I have a problem with weeds in my junipers. My county agent says I need a broad-leaf herbicide to kill the plant/weed, but did not know if it would harm my junipers. Do you have any suggestions on how to help with this problem? Thanks, Lori

Anne Clapp: There are formulations of weed killers made for overspraying weeds in ornamental shrubs. Ornamec is one tradename but it is harder to find than it used to be. It is safe to use on junipers. There are directions on Weed-be-Gone for spraying weeds in shrub borders. Follow the directions very carefully.

---------------------------
Question: Hi, We planted 25 1gal leighton leyland cypress last fall. They took off and growing very well. We watered often. Now winter is here and they look brown and almost as if they're dying. Is this normal? What type fertilizer could I use? I also live in Beckley, West Virginia where the winters are usually in the teens. I planted them for PRIVACY! I appreciate your reply. Thanks, Dianna

Anne Clapp: You are living in an area where Leyland Cypress is marginally hardy. They seem to have a better chance of making it through the winter when they are planted early in the spring and have a chance to get a root system established over the summer. You may be able to give them some protection from winter cold winds by using a wind screen around the plants. Drive sticks in the ground down the length of both sides of the row of plants and attach a strip of burlap or a plastic material to the sides of the stakes. Leave the top of the plants open. Do not fertilize the plants until they show signs of new growth in the spring. A light application of any general use fertilizer will be just fine.

---------------------------
Question: Dear Anne, I've been getting this bown, velvety like fungus on the tips of the leaves of my staghorn. Do you know what this could possibly be and what to do to get rid of it? Thanks very very much, Nicole

Anne Clapp: I am not sure that what you have on the tips of the fronds of staghorn fern is anything other than the soft brown covering that is often seen on new growth. Such coverings often contain the spores for new plant production.

---------------------------
Question: This is not exactly a "gardening" question, but nevertheless, I hope you have the information necessary to answer this question. A number of years ago we planted an area with Leland Cypress for Christmas trees. Unfortunately we let them go until they are now far beyond the Christmas tree use. We wonder if they would make suitable fence posts. Do you know if they have the lasting ability to use as a fence post? Thank you for your help. Sandra T. from South Carolina

Anne Clapp: Have you thought about topping them and using the tops for Christmas trees? The greenery would also do well for the wreath and swag market at Christmas. Cut greenery usually sells well in our local farmer's market for holiday decorating. I doubt Leyland cypress would have enough rot-resistance to compete with “cedar” for long-term use as a fence post.