Question: Hi, I have a dwarf lime tree I brought here to NC from California 15 years ago and has been in the same terra cotta pot (14" x 14") the whole time. It blooms, but does not set fruit any more. I suspect it is quite rootbound. Would moving it to a larger pot help? Also, I would like to start several new plants from this old one. How and when can this be done? Thank you. SE
Anne Clapp: After 15 years in the same pot the poor plant probably doesn't have enough soil or space for good health. It is also possible that there are not insects present when the plant is in bloom to pollinate the blossoms. My citrus trees get repotted every third year. When they get to a pot that is as large as I can handle I start rootpruning and pruning the top of the plant to get them to a manageable size. They do like heavy doses of fertilizer to bloom and set fruit. Starting plants from citrus seeds is possible but you need fruit set for seeds. Most dwarf plants are grafted and unless you have the dwarf rootstock it is hard to propagate them.
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Question: Hi Anne, I am from Michigan. I have planted about 100 Strawberry Parfait Dianthus in my front yard. Something is eating them. The flowers won't grow and when I water them, there are hundreds of little baby toads that jump out. Any ideas? Hope you can help. Rose C.
Anne Clapp: Rabbits love dianthus and may be the culprit. If the blooms and some leaves are chewed off the problem is more likely rabbits than insects. The toad population is probably keeping the insect population under control. You might try one of the pepper sprays to ward off the rabbits to see if that will help the problem.
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Question: Hi Anne, Why are the flowers on my Magnolia little gem, turning browning before they open. They are fine until its time to open then they go brown and die. Thanks, Carol
Anne Clapp: Failure of blooms to open on a magnolia is usually a sign of too little moisture or too much nitrogen in their fertilizer. The plant starts putting out new growth at the bud site so the bloom does not get enough energy to open. If we have a dry spell during bloom season water the plant and check to see that your fertilizer is one for blooming plants – with a higher middle number for phosphorus- and a slow release form of nitrogen.
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Question: I recently bought a habiscus tree? from K-Mart, there were a few leaves that had brown spots on them, since I replanted this plant 1 week ago, all of a sudden today all the leaves are drooping, the ones with the spots have since turned yellow, which I have taken off the plant, what does the drooping leaves mean??? To much water, not enugh water what?? Can anyone answer my question? Thanks, Lori
Anne Clapp: Often tropical hibiscus from stores such as K-Mart and Lowes have been allowed to dry out so they have lost some roots. When the plant suffers from root stress the leaves turn yellow and fall off. There is always some loss of leaves during the growing season. The plant needs to be watered weekly, or more often in very hot windy conditions. The soil needs to dry out between waterings. Sometimes transplanting a plant shocks the root system and leaves do droop. It needs a bit of protection from the sun until it gets acclimated to the new space. Don't put any fertilizer on the plant until it shows signs of recovery.
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Question: Hi, My question is: I have a two year old Daphne plant and it has lost nearly all its leaves just now althougth flowers are starting to form and also new leaves ( I think) as we are on really heavy water restrictions in Goulburn I have been useing grey water on it, I am mindfull not to let it get too dry and and a drip system from a container is set up at it. am K.
Anne Clapp: I am not sure which Daphne you have in your yard. The fragrant daphne, Daphne odora, forms its bloom in the fall for a winter bloom. Daphne ginkwa, the non-fragrant summer blooming daphne, should be putting on new growth and blooms. From the sounds of your watering system you may have too much water around the plant you have. The plant does like to dry out between watering – whether from rain or an irrigation system. The plants do like morning sun and sometimes plant decline comes from too little light. It is one of those plants that likes cool feet, no hot afternoon sun but good light.
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Question: Hi Anne, I have several 3-year-old August Beauty gardinias around my patio. I have never really pruned them and this summer the branches are hanging over with many blooms. Should I try to prune them after this blooming? Should I have pruned earlier in the spring? hanks for any advice, Emma L.
Anne Clapp: I prefer to prune gardenias after they bloom. The new foliage is sensitive to cold damage and pruning them any earlier than the last frost date can be a problem.
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Question: Dear Anne, My family and I just moved to North Carolina less that a year ago and we love it! I have two beautiful butterfly trees which the butterflies love. My son and I have even seen the hummingbirds around them. My question is, should I remove the dead flowers like I do with some of my other plants, or should I just leave them alone? Also, is there a way I can get babies from them? I think your sight is great and very helpful. Thank-You, Debbie in Gastonia
Anne Clapp: I like to cut back the spent blooms on my buddlias (butterfly bushes) to encourage continuous bloom. It also keeps the plant smaller and more compact. You can start new plants from cuttings taken during the summer or try to start from seed when it dries in the fall. It does take a winter outside for the seed to germinate.
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Question: My boyfriend sprayed Malathion on our rose bushes & several assorted vegetables, the foliage on all the plants appears to be "burned", is that from the Malathion? It also seems to have damaged the Azaleas & Peonies quite badly. Or is it possible something else caused this to happen? Twyla
Anne Clapp: Sometimes spraying foliage of plants with Malathion when it is hot and the leaves of the plants are overheated will cause damage. Insecticides sprayed at above the recommended dilution will also cause a problem. If the sprayer was used for a weedkiller some residue from that could also have done damage to your plants.
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Question: Hi Anne, We planted a rather healthy-looking Japanese Wisteria in the Spring. It started climbing the fence and seemed to do well at first, however, some of the leaves are turning yellow and spotted. Also, the new leaves are curled and brownish and not very big. On the advice that Wisteria is a pretty hearty plant and doesn't need much water, we tried less watering, but it doesn't seem to help. Any suggestions? We have it planted in full sun.
Anne Clapp: The plant seems to have some of the symptoms of herbicide damage – small, curled brown leaves. Could someone have sprayed Round-up or another weed killer in the area? Could the soil where the wisteria was planted have been treated with a pre-emergent herbicide. The yellow spotted leaves could be from transplant shock. While wisteria is a hardy plant, new actively growing vines do need to be watered on a weekly basis until they establish a root system.
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Question: Dear Anne: I need to place a border between my neighbor's home and mine. The border needs to be about 15-20 feet tall. I don't have a lot of width to work with, maybe thirty feet. I really like the look of the Japanese cedar and I was wondering if the Lobbii cultivar, which I understand to be more narrow, would work in this space. How wide would this tree get and do you have any other recommendations? Best regards, Brian M.
Anne Clapp: I like the look of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) but I think an entire hedge of it between my house and the neighbors would be boring and more prone to insect and disease problems. Have you thought of a combination of several plants: hollies such as Nelly Stevens or Emily Bruner, Little Gem southern magnolia, Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus Virginiana) and some of the arbovitaes (Thuja plicata “Hogan” or “Green Giant”)? All of these plants will get to your required height and be less than 30 feet wide.
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Question: Hi there, I know that earthworms are valuable to our lawns and gardens. I do not want to rid my entire area of them, but I would like to keep the ones that get on to the walk-way which is paved off the paved area. Please let me know what I can do. I thought of using a sevin product? Is this safe to use?
Anne Clapp: The earthworms you see on your paved area are coming out of ground that is over-saturated with water. Sevin will kill the earthworms if it comes in direct contact with them. You will still have to remove the dead earthworms from your pavement. Why not let the birds eat them on the paved areas as live food instead?
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Question: Dear Ann: I live in Austin,Texas. My recently planted (2 months ago) red yuccas have lost all of their blooms. They were covered with seed pods which I removed, should I cut the left over stalks that now look like long bloomless sticks or should I just leave them alone? Thanks, Cheryl
Anne Clapp: My personal preference is to remove the bloom stalk from Yuccas to make the plant more attractive. As the plants get larger that becomes more difficult (and painful) for the gardener. Removing the seed pods does help the plant save energy for new growth.
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Question: Dear Anne, I received a beautiful variegated leave English Ivy plant this past Easter. I was told not to let it get direct sun and keep it inside. I read, to keep the soil moist. Now, going on 3mos, 90% of the leaves have turned brown and have fallen off. It looks like a bald English Ivy. What did I do wrong and how can I correct it and bring this plant back to its beauty. Thank you, Judy from Prairieville, LA
Anne Clapp: I think the soil remained too moist. My ivy collection lives outside under the shade of some trees. I cluster the small pots together in a larger container so they don't have to be watered as frequently. There are about 6 variegated cultivars that have lived outdoors in the Carolinas for over 10 years. If you don't want to leave the plant outside all year you may want to let it live outside during the warmer seasons of the year. Let the soil dry out between watering; there is a difference between moist soil and soggy soil.
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