Author: Lilac

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Are Clematis and Lilacs Acid Loving Plants?

Clematis by love_child_kyoto (on flickr)
Clematis by love_child_kyoto (on flickr)

TheGardenLady received this question from Denys.

Are clematis and lilac plants acid loving plants?

Clematis likes soil that has a pH close to neutral (6.6-7.0). You have to add enough lime to ensure that your soil is not too acidic.  Generous amounts of bone meal and compost should be added to the soil. Clematis likes soil that drains well, so coarse builder’s sand should be added to soils that have a high clay content.

Lilacs also like a rich, well-drained soil with a neutral pH. They will grow happily in soil with a wider pH range- from 5.8-7.8 pH.

If the writer of this question is from the New England area where soils are often very acidic, soils will require modification for optimal lilac or clematis growth.

But do not try to change the pH of your soil by guessing. If you live in the US., contact your county agricultural extension service or your local Master Gardener Office for soil-testing information. You will get a soil testing kit that you will fill with soil for the test and when the results are returned, you will learn if your soil needs to be altered. The test results will be sent to you with instructions for altering soil pH to meet the needs of your plants. And if you don’t understand the instructions, you can visit the Master Gardener Office where the Master Gardeners will explain the instructions to you.

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Getting Rid Of The Horned Worm Caterpillar

Horned Worm Head by EriMax (on flickr)
Horned Worm Head by EriMax (on flickr)

TheGardenLady received this question from Katherine.

Is there anything I can do to keep the horned worm caterpillar off of my tomatoes? I really hate those little things. My kids pick them off, but most of the time they are hidden and I can’t see them!

You may know that the horned worm caterpillar is the immature stage of
the hawk moth. It goes through a few stages, but the most damaging stage is the caterpillar stage.

Some suggestions to get rid of the pest:

Rotate the place where you plant your tomatoes. Don’t plant tomatoes in the same place every year. If you plant them in the same location year after year, insects and diseases build up in the soil which can cause problems. For example, the hornworm larvae burrow into the soil to pupate.

Remove crop residues from last year and keep the area clean of weeds. Both can encourage insects to hide, lay eggs and grow.

Continue reading “Getting Rid Of The Horned Worm Caterpillar”

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Searching for Espaliered Quince Trees

Beautifully espaliered quince by andrea_hall (on flickr)
Beautifully espaliered quince by andrea_hall (on flickr)

TheGardenLady received this question from Elizabeth.

Can you tell me where I might be able to find a nursery/source for an espalier? I’ve been trying for years, to no avail, to espalier a quince. I would like to buy one that flowers.

Until you asked for a nursery to buy an espaliered tree, TheGardenLady
always thought that one had to create one own’s espaliered tree by training it yourself. Trying to check out your request, TheGardenLady discovered nurseries that sell already espaliered trees. But unfortunately, none that she called have espaliered quince trees for sale.

Espalier is when a tree, shrub or vine is trained to grow on a single plane and not allowed to deviate from it, that is known as the “espalier” style. Espalier stems from a 16th-century European practice.

Most people choose apple or pear trees to espalier not only to save space but to get more fruit in a small space. And there are nurseries that do sell espaliered apple and pear trees.

Quince can be espaliered but it can be trickier because many of the
shrubs have thorns.  See here.

There are many excellent sites on espaliering so that you might be
willing to try making your own espaliered quince tree.  See e.g. here.

TheGardenLady will continue to ask if there are nurseries that sell
flowering quince that is already espaliered and if she ever finds a place will post it on the blog; but thus far, she has not been able to find any nursery in the states that sell it already espaliered. Because Europe seems to do more with espaliered trees perhaps you can find a European nursery that sells
one.

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Saving Potted Daffodils

Daffodils by Poppins Garden (on flickr)
Daffodils by Poppins' Garden (on flickr)

TheGardenLady received this question from Cecilia.

I have some daffodils in pots and the flowers have already dried out. What do I need to do  to keep them healthy for next year? Or will theybe fine without my help?

When the flowers on your daffodils dry out, cut them off. This goes for daffodils growing outdoors, too. But NEVER cut off the leaves. After flowering the leaves continue to provide nutrients to the bulb. By cutting the flowers off you prevent the daffodil from setting seed. Unless you are a professional daffodil breeder or an avid amateur, daffodil seeds are more difficult to work with so you don’t want the plant to set seed. You want all the energy and growth to go into the bulb for next year’s bloom.

Now with potted daffodils, because the plant was forced- the bulb may no longer be any good. But you can try to save it and hope it is still ok. The daffodil you bought came in a small pot with limited soil which was depleted of nutrients when it was forced and bloomed. So even though the fall is the best time to plant daffodil bulbs, TheGardenLady would immediately plant the flowerless bulbs into the ground with the leaves still on. This way the bulbs may have a chance of living by getting some nutrients from the leaves as  well as from the outdoor soil. Mark where you planted the bulbs after the leaves die, so that you know where to look next spring to see if you saved those daffodils. Remember, plants want to live so that if you give them a good chance, they might comply. But, if they die, you know you tried.

Good luck.

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Caring for Sick Peace Lilies

Simplicity by love_child_kyoto (on flickr)
Simplicity by love_child_kyoto (on flickr)

TheGardenLady received this question from Linda.

I have a peace lily indoor plant which has sentimental value to me and over the past winter it has contracted a leaf condition – the leaves die from the tip towards the stem.  It’s as though a critter is “sucking” the life from it. It still flowers, but I am afraid as more and more leaves are infected I will lose the battle. Any suggestions?

TheGardenLady has to assume from your brief email that you have not changed anything in your plant’s environment- you haven’t moved your plant or changed the lighting, temperature, humidity or care. Usually most brown tips are caused by low humidity. And I also have to assume that you had not re-potted your Peace Lily Spathiphyllum improperly or put it in poor soil.

Or your Peace Lily might have to be re-potted. Sometimes a plant that has been in the same pot for a long time has a build up of salts in the soil from fertilizers and alkaline tap water. When you re-pot your plant, be sure you do not re-pot it too high or too low and use good potting soil (see here).

Continue reading “Caring for Sick Peace Lilies”

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Variegated Hostas under Dogwoods

My Garden in Springtime by zenamoonbeam (on flickr)
My Garden in Springtime by zenamoonbeam (on flickr)

TheGardenLady received this question.

I’d like to plant variegated hostas beneath a pink dogwood this spring. Is it a good idea?

TheGardenLady thinks that planting variegated hostas under a pink dogwood sounds gorgeous. But because dogwoods are being stressed these days, plant the hostas with caution (see here).

Be careful not to plant the hostas too close to the dogwood trunk. Notice that dogwoods in nature don’t like plants close to the trunk. Plant the hostas just outside the tree’s drip line (see here).  Dogwoods have shallow, far-reaching root systems, so when planting the hostas be careful that you don’t damage big roots which are fairly shallow.  Those are roots that are 1″ in diameter and larger.  You don’t want to hurt the tree by damaging the roots (see here).  The younger the tree, the closer you can plant the hostas because the roots will find the ideal places to grow their roots. Don’t pile lots of soil over the dogwood roots when planting anything near the tree.

Remember that dogwood trees like a lot of water. Dogwood roots don’t like to compete for water. Keep your dogwood well watered – Water weekly in the morning during dry periods. Caution: Do not wet foliage. If you are having a drought in your area, as many areas are having, be sure that the dogwood and the hostas get well watered. Since they are shallow-rooted trees, dogwoods are among the first plants to show drought stress. They need supplemental water in the absence of regular rainfall, especially during the summer and fall. Water in the morning, preferably with a soaker hose, to a depth of 6″. Use of a sprinkler is not recommended because it wets the foliage, setting up ideal conditions for certain diseases. But dogwoods don’t like to be overwatered. They don’t want the soil saturated. Dogwoods are feeling lots of stress these days; so you don’t want to add any more stress to the tree you have (see here).

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What’s Blowing Your Way

PhotonQ-Beauty on the Horizon of Complexity by PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE (on flickr)
PhotonQ-Beauty on the Horizon of Complexity by PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE (on flickr)

TheGardenLady just wants to let her readers what’s in store.  Tomorrow there will be a post on Lori Rubel’s Georgia Vines.  And in 4 days from now, TheGardenLady will be posting an answer to a reader’s question about planting hostas under a dogwood.

So keep reading and asking questions.

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Hummingbirds are Arriving

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (female) by rwolfert (on flickr)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (female) by rwolfert (on flickr)

TheGardenLady is sure that one of the reasons you like to have flowers is because you hope to attract or already attract hummingbirds to
your garden (see here).

People keep track of when they arrive in your state. For example, they are already starting to arrive in New Jersey (see here)

And sometimes when they arrive they need you to help feed them by putting up hummingbird feeders (see here).  You can buy hummingbird feeders in your local hardware store. Or you can make your own hummingbird feeders (see here).

Remember hummingbirds are territorial. Once they find your garden they will return each year. If you want to attract more hummingbirds, place more feeders throughout your yard. But don’t forget, YOU MUST CLEAN the feeders frequently so the birds don’t get sick.

Continue reading “Hummingbirds are Arriving”

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Caring for Indoor Daffodils

Indoor Daffodils by Lisa 65 (on flickr)
Indoor Daffodils by Lisa 65 (on flickr)

TheGardenLady received this question about daffodils:

I have also recently received a small pot of daffodils for indoors [probably from the local grocery store. It has the colored foil around it]. They doubled in length in one day, look healthy, and have smaller buds about to come out. I keep them in my room which is fairly cool and can get sunny. I’m wondering if I need to move the bulbs to a bigger pot at any point as well as if I can share the bulbs with friends once they stop flowering.

Daffodils like coolish indoor temperatures, 50-75°F, 10-24°C, the cooler the temperature, the longer the blooms last: medium humidity- too wet and you might get bulb rot: and bright indirect sunlight coming from the South/East/West

Do not waste your time repotting the daffodil bulbs for this season’s indoor flowering. Repotting causes stress on the plant which may cause the flowers to die.

The daffodils in the pot may have been forced (see here) to bloom at a specific time. Forcing is done by using special lighting techniques, fertilizing techniques and temperature control (see here). Enjoy the flowers by putting the little pot in a cache pot (see here) and bringing the entire thing to the room where you are entertaining for all to enjoy.

Continue reading “Caring for Indoor Daffodils”

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Leguminous Plants

Black Locust - Robinia pseudoacacia by maxi millipede (flickr)
Black Locust - Robinia pseudoacacia by maxi millipede (flickr)

TheGardenLady received this question from arv:

I want to know what leguminous trees / shrubs I can plant in Jerusalem for nitrogen fixing . I want something longer lasting than lentils, beans, chickpeas etc.

This writer, from Israel, wants to know of leguminous trees or shrubs that he can plant in Jerusalem. For those readers who want to know what leguminous means, it is a Botany or Plant Biology term that refers to plants related to legumes like pinto beans, great northern beans, lentils, etc. that help fix nitrogen in the soil. Nitrogen (N)  is essential for plant growth. N is the mineral element most demanded by plants.

The locust tree is my favorite leguminous tree.  See here.

It is the black locust, Robinia pseudoacacia, that is nitrogen fixing not the honey locust.  See here.  An article about the black locust is this.

But the locust tree can become invasive because the plant typically reproduces vegetatively by root suckering and stump sprouting. Root suckers arise spontaneously from established root systems, sprouting
new shoots and interconnecting fibrous roots to form extensive, dense groves of clones.

One tree that is short lived but is in the leguminous plant family is the Acacia tree. A scholarly article about the amount of N each type of Acacia tree fixes is this.

A complete list of leguminous plants is on this website.

Because this sounds like a scholarly endeavor that this questioner is asking to do, TheGardenLady has included some scholarly articles on nitrogen fixing that has been done on leguminous plants. I hope you can open these sites here, here, and here.