Horticulture Guy

Question: I’m trying to identify a flower. We live in Athens, Georgia (she’s about 20 minutes outside of Athens.) and this is something that has been in my friends yard since she moved into the house, and until this year she’s been pulling them up because she thought they were clover. Looks like 2 flowers put together, totally different parts of them. Front part is white w/yellow stamens and back part is purple and looks almost lily-ish.She hadn’t gotten to it this year, and they bloomed. Here’s the link for the pictures… Thanks, Wendy R.
Answer: That is a type of columbine (Aquilegia) a garden perennial. The darker colored part are the sepals and the white the petals. There are many types of columbines. Some produce flowers in a single color or like the one your friend has are bicolored.

Q. Happy New Year,I have a potted Ficus tree outdoors. It is extremely healthy but I now see that the roots have gone through the pot and into the ground.Can I cut the roots off at the bottom of the pot? or will this kill the tree? Sandy in Florida

Q. This summer I made a purchase of this plant at the local Lowe’s. The
plant is turning yellow and then to dead leaves. What do I do, cut it
down to ground level? Cover it up with mulch? Can’t find any
directions for winterizing it here in the low country. I think we
are 8B zone. Thank you for any help you can share with me. Jackie Dittimer - Charleston, SC

A. Curcuma is a ginger family plant that is normally grown in a greenhouse when temperatures fall below 64 degrees F. according to the American Horticulture Society’s Encyclopedia of garden plants. They grow in frost free areas where they go dormant due to drought and not cold. So you may try digging it and potting it up and keeping it in a garage with the soil kept on the dry side all winter and then replant in spring. You local Master Gardeners may also have first hand experience with this plant.

Q. I have a mass cane dracaena plant and my dog ate all the leaves off of it and I was wondering if they will grow back or is there something I can do to help them grow back ? Thank You So Much ! James Rotondella - Clemmons, NC
 
A. If the plant has not been under stress up to this point your mass cane will likely sprout new leaves within he next few weeks. Once you see the new growth you can add some additional fertilizer if you do not already regularly fertilize. This will compensate for the nutrients that were removed by your herbivorous canine.

Q. I have a Jatropha Multifida planted near the foundation of my home, it does beautifully during the winter, however, at present it is turning yellow. what are the soil requirements for this small tree? Could it be too wet? I have several succulents in the same location and they are doing great.thanks, Chris Riefstahl - Punta Gorda, Florida

A. Coralbush is a is in the euphorbia clan and is tolerant of dry soil so it should have similar watering requirements as your succulents. Tolerant doesn’t mean you shouldn’t water during the summer. Just make sure the soil dries out slightly between waterings. They will appreciate regular watering during the summer and less water in the winter which will mimic it’s natural habitat in Mexico. They do not tolerate salt spray so this may also be a cause of the problem since you seem to live near the gulf. You should also test your soil with a soil test kit to see if you have any deficiencies in the soil (like nitrogen).

Q. I have English Laurel in clay soil. Two are doing well, but the other nine trees, the leaves are turning yellow and the plants are not growing. What should I do to save these laurels. I need them for screening. Thanks, Lisa Swan - Franklin, TN

A. I have two suggestions. I would suggest you should have a soil test performed. Contact your county agent or Master Gardener Program http://mastergardeners.tennessee.edu/ to find out how. Also since these are very fast growing plants they can often become root bound in the pot. If you did not tease the roots before you planted them there is a chance they may be wrapping around themselves (girdling) which would cut off water and nutrients. If this is the case you should first examine the roots by pulling away some soil from the surface. If this is the case you will need to lift the plants again and loosen or remove girdling roots.

Q. I planted some peonies back six or seven years ago which still haven’t bloomed.  They get plenty of sunlight - what could be the problem and can I fix it at this point. Rhonda Moore - Wynnewood, Oklahoma

A. Well first off we can rule out age as being a factor.  Peonies grown under ideal conditions would have bloomed within the first couple or three years.  I am assuming you haven’t moved these peonies since this could set them back and delay blooming.  Second we can rule out sunlight as long as your idea of plenty of sunlight is the same as the peonies’ requirement for sunlight. Plants can get sufficient sunlight to sustain themselves but not enough to give them the extra energy required to bloom and set seeds. Be sure they are getting full sun for the majority of the day.  Planting depth can also be an issue with peonies.  The “eyes” of the plant (the overwintering below ground buds, think potato eyes) should have be around 2 inches below the soil line when you planted them.  If they are too deep the plants won’t flower.  If the plants settled or you put a lot of mulch on top of them this can also cause the eyes to sit lower.  The reverse of this, planting to shallow, can mean that buds are damaged by winter cold destroying the flower buds that were formed.  New vegetative buds can and do replace them but the result is lack of blooms.  Now is a good time to carefully move some soil away from the crown and see how deep the eyes are.  You can lift them and replant them to the proper depth once the soil can be worked.  Excessive nitrogen fertilization has also been mentioned as a factor in lack of blooms.  The theory is that the nitrogen promotes foliage and keeps the plant in a more juvenile state.

Gardening questions from TX, OK, AR, LA, TN, MS, AL, NC, SC, GA, & FL

Q.  I want to plant Pampas Grass along a fence line. We have problems with our neighbor’s horses eating any plants we plant. We do not want to close our property in with a fence, so we are looking for vegetation that will help.  Will horses eat Pampas Grass?  Any help you can give will be appreciated.   Thanks… Farley Dodson - Pensacola, Florida
A.  Well in past questions I have warned people cutting back or dividing Pampas Grass to wear protective gear since the leaf edges are razor sharp and can cut skin (imagine getting compound paper cuts).  I think this is the reason Pampas Grass is resistant to deer browsing.  I would guess it isn’t very pleasant on the tongue either.  Now resistance does not mean deer proof and a deer is not a horse but the odds are in favor of horse resistance.  In addition I assume your neighbors feed their horses regularly.  Deer will often eat resistant plants when there is little else to eat and their option is starving.  Test one plant out to minimize your loss should my theory not hold.  Let me know how it goes.