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Transplanting Hydrangeas
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Date Posted: Fri, Nov 05 - 1:58 pm
- I have hydrangeas in a partial sun location, mostly afternoon, and they have never done very well with adequate watering and fertilization If I’m going to move them to a new location, what scenario should they be in and are there any specific times that are better to move them?
- Greetings! Thank you for your question. Now is a great time to transplant your hydrangeas (Fall season), while the plants are dormant. Plant your hydrangeas in an area that gets morning sun, and afternoon shade. Hydrangeas do not like the hot afternoon sun we have here in Richmond in the summer months, and that may be why they have not done well in their current location. When you transplant, be sure and select a location that will drain well, and amend your soil with plenty of compost. Be sure and dig the hole large enough to accommodate the entire root ball. Water the hydrangea well once you place it in the new location. As you know, hydrangeas love to be watered in the warmer months, and they love nutrient-rich, composted soil. If they are planted near larger plants or trees, they may be competing for water during the warm months, and it will be important to keep them moist (but well drained). Good luck with your fall gardening!
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Overwintering Geraniums
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Date Posted: Thu, Nov 04 - 8:07 pm
- I have a geranium that was brought indoors a few days ago and still has blooms. How to I store it in the winter months? I heard you can cover it with a plastic bag and keep it in a dark, cool place - ie. garage. Is that Ok? Does it need to be watered? Thanks, Lori Pettit
- Hello Lori, You have a couple of options for your geranium. The first would be simply keep it indoors as a house plant assuming you have enough window space/light. Another option would be to unpot the plant, shake off as much soil as possible, and store the plant in a paper bag in a darkened cool space. Ideally, the temperature would range in the 45-55 degree area. A garage could work if you manage to keep the temperature at that range. I prefer the first method because you get to enjoy the plant all winter. There's also less chance you'll forget about it next spring!! It will most likely go through a transition phase and you may lose a few leaves but with enough sun it should continue to bloom (probably somewhat less) all winter and into early spring. If the geranium is very large and will possibly take up too much space inside, feel free to cut it back to about 8 inches. It will spend the winter putting on some more growth. As the temperature warms in spring you can start introducing it back to the great outdoors. Somewhere around mid-April (after the last frost) move it to a shady spot for a few days so it can acclimate and then move it to your preferred place. Good luck with this process!
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Ambrosia beetles-Dogwoods
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Date Posted: Tue, Oct 05 - 4:24 pm
- Ambrosia beetles-dogwoods
- Hello again, I have a few questions about your trees. I'm wondering how they were diagnosed. Did you see the frass tubes (kind of looks like tooth picks) on the trunk? Was there blue staining in the sapwood when they were removed? You may also have seen 'sawdust' at the base from the process of tunneling in the entry holes. Those would be definite indicators of the beetle. Generally, they attack trees under stress, such as drought or lack of appropriate amounts of scheduled watering. The pests may have been in the trees when you purchased them from the nursery. If so, the guarantee from the nursery may cover your loss. Assuming the reason your trees failed was due to ambrosia beetle and not another pest or disease, the arborist I consulted said that planting in the same location would be fine. I don't believe they have created any trees to be resistant to the ambrosia beetle. That being said, I think the chief thing is to provide the best cultural environment for the trees to survive. Well-draining soil is key along with proper placement and watering until the trees are established. Without knowing the exact environment you are planting in it would be difficult to recommend a particular tree. Look online for a list of native trees for this area and then consider the location you have and whether or not that tree would be a good fit. Consider the amount of light, moisture, available space for mature height, etc. Sorry those dogwoods didn't make it. Best of luck with your next choice.
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Fall Planting
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Date Posted: Thu, Sep 23 - 6:46 pm
- We are looking for advice on planning for the front of the house as we just took out a bunch of old bushes. I saw where Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico have a master gardener that comes to your house. Is there anyone who can help us out in Richmond? Thanks, Andrea
- Good afternoon, and thanks for your question! At this time, we are not providing onsite garden consultations due to the pandemic, but I would be happy to provide some advice over the phone. We can talk about your space size where you'd like to do your planting, direction orientation (i.e. north facing, or other), plant type preferences, and other details that would help me provide some recommendations and advice on planting. If you'd like to take this approach, feel free to email me at dcmoorerva@gmail.com and I'll respond and we can set a time to discuss over the phone. Thanks again for your question, and I hope to hear from you!
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Transplanting an English boxwood
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Date Posted: Mon, Sep 13 - 6:56 pm
- Instructions for moving English boxwood
- Hello there, This is the right time to be thinking about moving plants though I wouldn't actually move it until we hit a spell of cooler weather. I happened upon a useful link that describes the process better than I could. The link is from the magazine Southern Living and includes photos. https://www.southernliving.com/garden/grumpy-gardener/transplanting-b It looks like a good guide. Best of luck.
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Schip laurel
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Date Posted: Mon, Sep 13 - 6:48 pm
- This is a response to the question about Schip laurel. Assuming poor drainage isn't the issue, you can drop off a sample at the Henrico Cooperative Extension off at 8600 Dixon Powers Drive. This is how the agent described the sample material to submit. 'We need what we call the good, bad and ugly. We don’t want just a dead portion. We want the sample to include the transition from bad to good.' You could also check out this link below from the University of Md. that lists several problems that might occur with a Schip laurel planting. https://marylandgrows.umd.edu/2019/01/07/qa-whats-wrong-with-my-cherry-laurel-shrubs/ Good luck!
- Answer is in the preceding question format.
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Sckip Laurel wilting and drooping
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Date Posted: Tue, Sep 07 - 4:11 pm
- I have some skip laurels that are wilting and drooping. There are two large shrubs in the midst of 30 total. One that is really bad is between two that are perfectly healthy. These were planted about 13 years ago. I lost one last year. That was a new plantings. This one is old and the surrounding shrubs are fine. I’d like to get a sample sent to a lab to test for a bacterial or fungal infection and or have someone come out to take a look I’m happy to take pictures and send it please let me know you can call me at 415-417-9997 that is my cell phone or email is fine too thanks look forward to your response.
- Hello there, Sorry to hear this. This plant is generally without problems as you know. I've reached out to an extension agent to get the process of getting your sample to the clinic in the works. It may take a little longer than usual since Richmond is without an agent at the moment. I've reached out to Henrico. If you don't see a posting here with that information in several days, please send me another email as a check in. Thanks for your patience. I hope we can get you the answer you need.
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Dog-proof ground cover
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Date Posted: Wed, Aug 18 - 2:06 pm
- Hi! We have a small back yard (no trees) in the Museum District that faces southeast. It's mostly dirt and crabgrass. We also have two dogs. Can you recommend a good, tough, affordable, relatively "dog-proof" ground cover? Something relatively soft that will be okay for bare feet would be idea, if I'm not asking for too much. Thank you!
- Ok, we'll have to laser focus to meet the requirements. I think a planting of dutch clover might do the trick for you. You're probably familiar with it, it tends to pop up in lawns frequently. You're going to have to kill the crabgrass before you attempt anything else. I generally suggest covering the area with tarps, newspaper, and/or cardboard to smother the weeds. However, this process could take a couple of months and you want to plant the clover about 6 weeks before a frost. If your space is small you could remove the weeds by hand, that would be quicker. Throw the pulled weeds in the trash, you don't want weed seeds winding up in your new clean space. Till the earth you've just cleaned up and spread the seed! Next-water. The clover will sprout in about 2 weeks. You'll need to keep the seed bed moist. Once the clover goes through a winter it will be established. Then you want to weed whack or mow the clover once a month when it's actively growing to keep the planting nice and thick. This choice would be the most cost-effective way to establish a walkable ground cover. An added benefit of clover is that is adds nitrogen to your soil. Of course, there are many other interesting choices for a sunny ground cover. You might want to experiment adding other plants and creating a bit of embroidery. There's always scotch or irish moss, mazus, ajuga, speedwell, or even creeping thyme, to name just a few other possibilities. Good luck with the project!
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City Tree Removal in Front of House
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Date Posted: Wed, Aug 18 - 2:05 pm
- The city recently removed a large elm from the sidewalk area in front of our house (3200 block of Grove Ave). Do you know if we are allowed to plant in that space? If so, what would you recommend? Thank you!
- Good afternoon! Thank you for your question. I had to do a little research on this one, as I have never experienced this at my property. Fortunately, the city addresses this on their Public Works website, where they provide information on their Urban Forestry program (I provided the web link below). This website provides information about the Municipal Tree Policy Ordinance. Under that section, you will see a list of Forms. There is a Form called Application for a Street Tree Planting Permit. I have included that link as well. You will need to download that form and submit it to the City for approval to plant a tree. The City typically plants elm trees or maple trees, and either would be a good choice. It appears from the Application Form that a city staff arborist must approve your species selection before planting. You may also want to contact the City to see if they have plans to replace that tree, before you go to the expense of planting one yourself. But if they do have plans to replace it, it may be a while before they would get to it. If you're like me, you'll want to go ahead with a replacement this fall which is the best time of year to plant new trees. But be sure and complete/submit the application in the link below, and hopefully a City staff arborist will contact you soon. http://www.richmondgov.com/PublicWorks/UrbanForestry.aspx. http://www.richmondgov.com/PublicWorks/forms/applicationNewStreetTreePlanting.pdfa. Best of luck with this! Feel free to follow up with us if any other questions or concerns.
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Lawn options-seed or sod
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Date Posted: Wed, Aug 18 - 2:00 pm
- I’m trying to decide what to do about my front lawn. It’s a little under 60 square yards. Everything is killed off and tarps are covering the ground now to keep weeds from growing. There is no shade, all day sun. I would like to know if Tall Fescue is the best choice and also should I seed or sod. Cost is not the issue since it’s a small area. I hope you can give me some advice.
- Well, I know you didn’t ask this but what about foregoing a lawn and planting a dooryard garden instead?. I’m not much of a grass person. A patch of clover is more to my liking, at least it gives the honey bees a place to land, adds some nitrogen to the soil. Maybe a combination of a lovely shrub border, a small tree, a mix of tall and low-growing perennials, groundcovers? Since it's a small area the expense wouldn’t be staggering and you can always phase in the plantings. Something to consider.... That being said, I think you’re doing a good job of preparing for a fall planting by covering the space and killing off the weeds. If I haven't persuaded you to take a different approach, I’ll try to answer your question about seed or sod. You didn't mention why your lawn was "killed off". Is there an issue with the soil? If so, you should request a soil test kit from the Richmond VA Cooperative Extension Main Office: (804) 786-4150. The results will let you know what, if any, amendments you'll need to add. I think the choice of a tall fescue is fine and fall is a good time to start a cool-season grass. When purchasing seed, check the bag to make sure you are buying all seed and no filler. Look for the two Virginia-Maryland labels affixed to the package so you know you are buying seed mixtures or blends which comply with the quality standards of the Extension Divisions of Virginia Tech and U of MD. First, you'll need to prep the soil. Remove all the dead weeds you've killed by covering and make sure there are no roots left in the ground. This can be tedious but it will pay off in the long run. Work in any amendments your soil test dictates. Add a layer of compost, you can till it in, or if your soil isn't compacted, adding 1-2 inches to the surface should suffice. Grade the soil with a rake so the surface is smooth and uniform. At this point you can seed. Disburse the seed with a spreader and go back and forth across the lawn, then in a perpendicular direction, attempting to get an even amount of seed across the surface of the lawn. You can add another fine layer of compost so that there is good contact between the seed and soil. (For a larger lawn you would roll the seed at this point.) Then you'll need to water immediately thereafter and continue to water until the seed germinates. (Be careful when watering, keep the soil moist, don't wash the seed away.) After that a total of 1-2 inches of water a week should keep the grass in good spirits. Hand pull weeds. An established lawn could take up to 2 years with seed. If this doesn't sound like fun, you can clean up the soil as above, amend as needed, grade it with a rake, and lay sod. Do not let the sod dry out. You'll need to water the sod daily for a couple of weeks (of course, less if there's rain). During this period the sod will be putting down shallow roots into your soil bed. Avoid walking on the sod during this period. After about a month the sod will have established a better root system. Around this time it will need to be mowed. Set the mower to 3 inches. The sod will provide a quicker route to a nice green lawn if the expense is acceptable. I hope I've covered all your options. Good luck with the project!