Ask The Expert, Garden Advice

Question: How do I save the little trees I just planted and the deer scrapped off the bark before I could get a fence around them. The bark is almost completely off the entire stem of one tree, and almost around the entire other. they must have been the perfect size for their little antlers to get scratched.
Thanks for all your time.
Heather
Colorado

Answer: You're witness to the fact that deer will eat anything if they're hungry enough. How about putting poultry netting around the victimized trees until the deer figure out they can't chew through the wire? I am very sorry about your tree. If the bark is completely gone in a circle around the trunk then there isn't really any way to save the tree.

Question: Hi. I bought several small geranium plants about 3 mo. ago, they grew very fast and so I transplanted all of them into bigger pots about a month ago. they are growing very nicely, with lots of green foliage, but there is not one bloom on any of these. Is there anything else that I can do to make them bloom? (they have had  fertilizer and are also receiving lots of sunlight) please help so I can enjoy lots of blooms.
Thank you .  Judi

Answer: Geraniums need plenty of sunlight to bloom their best. But they prefer summer temperatures from 60 to 70 degrees, and although they are obviously willing to put out when it is warmer, even geraniums have their limits. If you've set your containers outside, the patio probably becomes too hot. Try giving the plants some afternoon shade ? a banana tree on the west side, for instance. Using large clay pots will help by keeping the roots a bit cooler. Fill them with plants; crowding encourages bloom.

All leaf and no flower can be the result of too much nitrogen. Be sure your fertilizer is labeled for flower promotion. Planted in a container, make sure to fertilize regularly with a water soluble fertilizer for flowering plants (read and follow the label instructions) and keep the soil evenly moist but not overly wet.

Also, it is important to remove faded flowers promptly. Finally, in case you have a Martha Washington geranium, this type stops blooming when the weather warms up -- it is unusual in that it prefers cool temperatures. These are sometimes sold in early spring in full bloom, so that's why I am mentioning it.

Good luck with your geraniums!

Gardening Question From Texas
"April, Anthony, Carin, and Evan"
Answer:  Ants and peonies just seem to go together! Contrary to popular belief, ants are not essential to making peonies bloom, but they are companions of peonies because they feed on the nectar produced by the blossoms. If ants are a problem, you can bait to kill them, but they're generally happy in the garden and probably won't invade your kitchen. If you plan to cut the blossoms, hold each one under water for a minute or so to dislodge any hitchhiking ants before
you take the flowers indoors.

 

Gardening Question From Buffalo, NY
what is bishop's weed?

Hello Buffalo!

Here are the technical stats on the bishops weed:
Scientific Name: Aegopodium podograria
Common Name: Bishops' weed
Habit: Deciduous
Growth Rate: Rapid
Site Requirements: Partial shade to shade; range of soil types, sandy loam to clay; tolerates compact soil and fertility; leaf edges may brown when grown in sun
Form: Spreading
Texture: Medium
Foliage: Medium green carrot-scented leaves on a fleshy stalk; three-parted leaflet is divided into three subleaflets
Flower/Fruit: Small white flowers in late spring to early summer
Comments: Can become invasive; spreads by rhizomes
Cultivars: Variegatum: 8 inch silvery white and green foliage

Have you ever seen the manner in which strawberries spread? The stems, "trailers" if you wish, branch out from the "mother plant" and attach to the ground with new roots. This will now become a new strawberry plant which spreads again. Bishops Weed spreads somewhat in the same way, but the root system lies underground.

Bishops Weed is actually planted as a ground cover and spreads like nobody's business. But it isn't invasive unless allowed the opportunity to grow out on it's own. If planted in areas where nothing grows well it does a beautiful job filling in those barren areas. When used as border plants, it works best when it's contained on four sides. As it's root systems grow in the top few inches of soil, it can be contained with landscape edging 6 inches deep.

If you're trying to eradicate it .. good luck. It's a lot easier to grow than it is to get rid of. Bishops Weed is easily adaptable in any soil condition, grows very quickly in shady areas but thrives fairly well in sunny areas as well, although it's growth is slower in the sun.

The only way to get rid of Bishops Weed is with a lot of patience and time on your knees weeding it out of your garden. Bishops Weed likes to grow in the top 4 inches of soil, so don't dig too deep when getting it out. You are bound to miss a few rootlets which will start sprouting again. Just dig them out as they show up, and be persistent! Edging can be useful as you weed the garden area, as it will allow you to work smaller areas at a time without worrying about re-infestation from surrounding areas (weeds love that nice fluffy soil) You can try a heavy dose of Round-Up in early fall before the weed goes into its winter dormancy.

Oh, and whatever you do, DO NOT add it to your compost ... it will spread, no matter how deep. DROWN IT! Put it in a barrel, cover with cover with water, do not allow light .... stinks like crazy but is the only sure way to kill it.

Happy gardening!

 

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