Ask your gardening questions
May 19, 2009
Lyon County Extension Agent Amy Jordan will answer your gardening or horticulture questions. Submit questions now.
Moderator: Amy Jordan is the Lyon County Extension horticulturist. As our guest today, she'll be answering questions about gardening and lawn care. We'll start with a question about roses.
madpoet: We have a spot in our flower bed that had a rose. It died and we planted another one. It later died and everything else we planted there has died. I dug out the soil there and replaced it with potting soil. Do I need to do anything else before I plant another rose there? Thanks.
Amy Jordan: Potting soil is a good soil amendment, but should be incorporated with the existing soil so that there is not a distinct variation in the types of soils in the rooting zone. If not mixed together, the roots of the plants will not leave the loose rooting environment of the potting soil to enter the heavier existing soil, creating a container effect. If the two types of soils are mixed together using a tiller or by hand with a shovel, the existing soil will be improved and will give the plants a good start. Consider light, moisture and plant selection when replanting. Roses need at least 6 hours of sunlight each day with consistent moisture after planting. Hybrid tea roses are more prone to diseases and not as winter hardy as shrub roses grown on their own rootstock. Consider planting a shrub rose such as ‘The Fairy’ or ‘Knockout’, or look into the roses with the Earth Kind designation, a program through Texas A&M University . Water thoroughly at planting, mulch, and continue to water as needed (usually at least once per week) through the first two growing seasons.
chiefsfan: We have two fairly big lilac bushes, 7 years ago when we moved in they bloomed beautifully, but now they don't have very many blooms on them. Do I need to prune them every spring or fall? And if so, how do I prune them (ie. how far down on the branch do I cut?) Thank you!
Amy Jordan: Old fashioned lilacs are multi-stemmed shrubs that send up new shoots each year. It is important to remove stems as they age to promote flowering. Lilacs are early spring flowering shrubs which bloom on old wood, so should be pruned immediately after flowering. Since lilacs just finished blooming, now is a great time for pruning. Remove one-third of the oldest stems at ground level. This will encourage new shoots and hopefully improve flowering for next year.
murmusic: My lilac bush didn't blossom very well this year. I haven't pruned it in two years. What is the best way to prune, and when? It is an old plant--and has had a problem with powdery mildew.
Amy Jordan: For pruning suggestions, see the answer above. By removing some of the older wood, airflow will be improved and will hopefully reduce the severity of powdery mildew. Rake up and dispose of the fallen leaves at the end of the season to cut down on the presence of fungal spores.
murmusic: How much daily sun, for how many weeks, does a successful perennial garden need? I have cone flowers, sun flowers, amaranths, salvia and zinnias...but they aren't doing very well. They get at least 3 hours of direct sun and another three of dappled shade.
Amy Jordan: The flowers you have chosen need at least 6 hours of direct sun each day to perform at their best. Some perennials that do well with less light include hosta, columbine, bleeding heart, Solomon seal, lily-of-the-valley and coral bells (heuchera). Flowering annuals include impatiens and begonias, or foliage plants such as coleus, elephant ear, and caladiums. While shade gardens may lack the bright colors of a sun garden, the combination of different plant shapes and textures can be beautiful.
slimbolen99: When is the best time to transfer tomatoes from my starter pot to the garden; and how long will they last if I'm a bit late getting them out?
Amy Jordan: Now that the danger of frost has past and soil temperatures are above 60 degrees, which is usually around Mother’s Day, tomatoes can be planted in the garden. With the wet soils, you probably aren’t the only one that is late getting them out. Transplants tend to get leggy when held in their pots for an extended period of time. Tomatoes can be adapted by planting them on their side, with the stem a few inches below the soil and the top few inches sticking out. They will form roots along the length of the stem.
been_there: Is there something I can put out or plant to deter my chickens and ducks from getting into my garden and flowerbeds?
Amy Jordan: Physical exclusion would be the most effective method of keeping them out. Try a 40 inch fence made of poultry netting (chicken wire) around your garden. You may also try to guide them to another area to feed, such as a naturalized area with a lot of insects.
quarterback: Does Emporia still have that bug that is killing pine trees? What is it called, how do you know if a tree has it, and what are the steps to resolve the problems?
Amy Jordan: Pine Wilt is the disease that can quickly kill pine trees. The culprit is the pinewood nematode, a microscopic worm that multiplies rapidly in an infected tree and lethally clogs its flow of water and nutrients. To move from tree to tree, however, the nematode must rely on the pine sawyer – a “long-horned” beetle with antennae that can be up to twice the length of its body. The feeding wound the beetle makes is the nematode’s entrance into the tree. Removing and destroying infected trees is most important way to reduce the spread of the disease. The beetles overwinter in dead trees and emerge in the spring. Burn or chip infected pines by April 1st to reduce the emergence of beetles. A preventative injection can be effective at protecting valuable trees worth that investment. Keep a close eye on Scots pines that are more than 10 years old. So far, they have accounted for about 90 percent of the losses. (The other victims have included Austrian, jack, mugo, red and black pines.) Work to prevent any tree stress caused by insects, other diseases or drought. The beetles that carry the pinewood nematodes from tree to tree appear to prefer stressed trees.
moderator: What is new with the Master Gardner program and what are the requirements to get involved?
Amy Jordan: Extension Master Gardener volunteers provide horticulture education to residents in their community. This year they have been active with several events, such as the Spring Expo, Earth Day at Camp Alexander , and Day on the Farm. They have done several activities to promote Our Community, A More Colorful Place, which encourages people to plant more flowers, making our community a more colorful and enjoyable place to live and work. Master Gardeners are busy planning for the Emporia Garden Tour on June 20th and a Sick Plant Clinic to take place this summer. The next 8 week volunteer training class will begin in September of next year.
moderator: If we want to adopt a garden in downtown Emporia what are some tips to make our flower bed look nice?
Amy Jordan: Adopting a garden through Emporia Main Street is a great way for a business, organization, family, or individual to be involved in the community and make our downtown look even better than it already does. Annual flower provide the most color throughout the summer, and plants selected by the Prairie Star program perform great in Kansas conditions (www.prairiestarflowers.com). Contact Casey Woods at Emporia Main Street (620-340-6430) if you are interested in adopting a garden. He can provide design guidelines to help you select what to plant. In addition to increasing color in the gardens and properly maintaining new plantings, remove trash and weeds as they appear.
powercat: When is it too late to plant a garden? Do recommend using horse manure in a garden?
Amy Jordan: Crops can be planted in a garden all summer, even into the fall. Make sure the crops you select have enough time to mature by the first freeze, which is generally the middle of October. Most warm season crops like sweet corn, peppers, and tomatoes need 70-80 days; cucumbers, squash, okra and beans need 50-60. Lettuce, spinach, and radishes like cooler weather and mature in 30-40 days. Watermelon and pumpkins need the longest season, around 100 days. Horse manure is a great addition to soil, but should be incorporated into the garden in the fall. This helps to improve the soil over the winter and reduces the potential for pathogens that may cause a food borne illness.
moderator: What are the best ways to keep weeds out of a garden?
Amy Jordan: Persistence and mulch. Persistence helps to catch the weeds while they are small and easier to eliminate. Mulch helps you not have to work as hard at being persistent. Mulch not only suppresses weeds, but also conserves moisture and reduces soil temperatures. Hay, straw and newspaper are good mulches for vegetable gardens which can be tilled into the garden at the end of the season; wood chips are great for landscape beds and around trees.
moderator: When is the best time to prune shrubs and plants?
Amy Jordan: Late winter or early spring (February or March) before new growth emerges is the best time to prune most trees and shrubs. Early spring flowering shrubs such as lilac, forsythia, viburnum and quince should be pruned immediately after they bloom.
powercat: If you plant new grass in the spring can it survive the summer or does it just burn up in the Kansas heat? When are the best times to plant grass in the Spring and Fall?
Amy Jordan: The best time to plant a cool season grass like tall fescue is in the fall. This gives new grass the cool, moist weather of fall and spring to become established before entering the hot, dry summer. Soil preparation in the spring is often difficult because of frequent rains, so dormant seeding might be a good option. Dormant seeding involves spreading seed when the ground is frozen, allowing freezing and thawing to provide good seed-soil contact, or seeding when there is a light snow cover so that as the snow melts the seed has contact with the soil. Weed invasion is usually greater with dormant or spring seeding. Irrigation throughout the summer is important for new grass, regardless if it was planted in fall or spring, but may have to be more often with a spring seeded lawn.
glarson: We just sold our old house, and I want to take some irises with me to the new house. I thought you were supposed to thin and move irises in the fall. Can I do it now? If so, how?
Amy Jordan: Late summer or early fall is the best time to divide and transplant iris. In your situation, now would be fine. Dig the clump, separate the rhizomes, and place them back in the soil with the top of the rhizome at the soil surface. Water thoroughly through the summer in your new landscape.
Moderator: What a useful bunch of questions and answers! Those are all the questions we have today. Our thanks to Amy Jordan for again being our guest for an online chat. If you have other questions about lawns and gardens, drop by the Extension office at 2632 W. Highway 50 or call 341-3220.