Master Gardener – Answers
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Removing Bamboo
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Date Posted: Sat, Jun 15 - 1:11 pm
- Can someone please give me advice on how to get rid of bamboo?
- Bamboo is so tough! It can be quite the battle to get rid of it. The University of Maryland extension office has a very thorough article about controlling and removing bamboo. I recommend reading through the information they provide to decide how you want to tackle it: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/containing-and-removing-bamboo/ With a lot of dedication and patience, you should eventually be able to kill it off if you don’t ever allow any leaves to photosynthesize. Mow them constantly, break the shoot off and cut any leaf that you see emerging, immediately. Eventually the roots should starve and die. There are also companies around Richmond that provide bamboo removal services, but these would of course be a bigger financial commitment. Good luck! Getting rid of bamboo is not easy!
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Volunteer Trees
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Date Posted: Fri, May 31 - 5:41 pm
- I have several volunteer trees that look like dogwoods but they have never had blooms. is there a tree that looks like dogwood?
- Thanks for reaching out via the help desk! We are working to get a option to upload photos added to the page, but in the mean time I will send you a follow up e-mail so that we can get some pictures of your volunteer trees and see if we can help you identify them. It's possible that they are dogwoods and just haven't bloomed yet. They can take 5-7 years to get established before they start blooming. And it's also possible its something else with similar leaves. Hopefully we can help you better identify once we see some pictures!
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Planting sapling redbuds
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Date Posted: Thu, May 30 - 5:26 pm
- I have two sapling eastern redbuds. I have grown them from seed. Looking to plant them in my yard, what is the proper exposure and best time of year for them to thrive in the ground? Also how far apart should they be planted?
- How exciting! Redbuds are so beautiful, and what an accomplishment to grow them from seed. There are a couple of things to keep in mind when planting sapling redbuds- First, it is best to plant them on the smaller side as they don't enjoy being transplanted due to their long taproot. Second, the best time of year to plant many natives, including eastern redbuds, is the early fall after the heat of summer has passed. This allows the plant time to get established before winter and sets it up to really thrive the following year! An exception to this, is if you are planting in a space that closely mimics the redbud's natural environment. They are happiest with partial shade and in moist, well-drained soil. Whether you decide to plant now or early fall, keep them well mulched and watered as they for at least the first year as they get established. They should be planted at least 12 feet apart from each other to allow space for both to grow. Good luck and happy gardening!
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Mushroom in my spinach starts?
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Date Posted: Thu, May 23 - 11:50 am
- About 2 weeks ago, I planted spinach seeds in containers. The green leaves started to come up, but today, I noticed something brown and mushroom-shaped growing in both pots. They look like mushrooms, but I'm not sure. What could these be? Should I pull them out? I'd include a pic but it seems that only text is allowed here. I can email a pic once I get your emailed response. Thanks
- There are always surprises when you are gardening! I can't think of anything else that might be aside from a mushroom. I would go ahead an pull it out. You don't want anything competing for nutrients and space with your spinach plants.
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Speaker for Benefits of Gardening
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Date Posted: Thu, May 23 - 11:35 am
- We are a local Richmond company looking to bring in a gardener/gardening expert to speak on how they got into gardening and their personal experience as a gardener, as well as the benefits they see with gardening - not only physically but to help increase overall wellness (emotional, spiritual, reduce stress and anxiety, etc). to our staff as part of our 2024 company wellness initiative.
- Thank you for thinking of us and reaching out! We would love to share our thoughts on the benefits of gardening! I will reach out to you directly to coordinate.
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Repotting Orchids
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Date Posted: Sat, May 18 - 8:44 pm
- Hello! I was recently gifted a grocery store orchid in full bloom. I have a black thumb, have never owned an orchid, and am trying not to kill the poor dear. So far it seems pretty happy but it’s also rootbound. It’s in a plastic nursery pot and the roots are growing though the drainage holes. Should I repot it now or wait until it’s done blooming? Thank you!
- Congratulations! What a beautiful gift! Orchids can be so rewarding when they bloom again. First, is to figure out what type of Orchid you have. Most often, I see Moth orchids (Phalaenopsis) at the grocery store, so I'm going to assume that is what you have. These orchids have a main stem that grows up from a single point and they actually prefer to be pretty tight in their containers. You definitely do not want to repot it while it is in bloom - repotting it now will cause it to drop all of its flowers. After it has finished blooming, you can repot it. The Missouri Botanical Garden has a really wonderful guide on repotting Orchids that will be a great resource for you once your orchid has finished blooming: https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/visual-guides/repotting-phalaenopsis-and-other-monopodial-orchid#:~:text=As%20a%20general%20rule%2C%20repot,Repot%20spring%20through%20fall. Good luck! Wishing you lots of success!
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Rust on serviceberry
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Date Posted: Wed, May 01 - 1:12 am
- Our serviceberry (about two years old) has a rust on the berries. It looks relatively minor (about half the berries are about 50% covered in the rust spores). We planted this tree specifically to support the birds with the berries, although we are also very happy with all of the other ecological benefits the tree provides. Will the rust effect the desirability of the berries to the birds? Is there anything we can or should do to protect the tree/berries from more rust? We live in Churchhill on a tiny urban plot - the serviceberry is our only tree. Thank you!
- Cedar-apple rust and related rust fungi need plants from two plant families to complete their life cycle; Cupressaceae family (eastern red cedar and other junipers) and Rosaceae (apple, hawthorn, serviceberry). It seems likely there must be an eastern red cedar or juniper nearby, even though you do not have any other trees in your yard - the fungal spores can travel up to two miles! This can make it difficult to control the rust. You can prune and remove infected twigs and branches and dispose of them in the trash (not compost). Be sure to decontaminate pruning tools between cuts by dipping them for at least 30 seconds in 70% alcohol (e.g., rubbing alcohol) or 10% bleach. Alternatively, you can spray tools with a disinfectant that contains approximately 70% alcohol, then allow them to air dry. Decontaminating tools will prevent movement of rust fungi from branch to branch or from plant to plant during pruning. If you are able to find nearby juniper and red cedar trees and have neighbors that are willing to help with the cause - in late winter or early spring you can prune and remove brown, woody galls found before orange, gelatinous structures that form in the spring. This will help reduce the level of infection on nearby Rosaceae plants like your serviceberry. Fungicides are not recommended since serviceberries are a resource for wildlife, birds and bees. Your question about serviceberries with rust being less desirable to the birds is challenging. It is recommended that people do not eat serviceberries affected by rust. I have read both that rust does not effect wildlife and that birds will naturally avoid berries with rust. My inclination is to think that the birds would not be interested in the berries affected by rust but I would be curious to know if you have seen a decreased bird population around your serviceberry since you started noticing the rust. I know that things like rust can be frustrating to deal with, especially given your goals with this plant. I wish you the best!
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Plant identification and recommendations
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Date Posted: Wed, May 01 - 12:03 am
- I have a lot of what I am told is moss in my yard. Have pictures to send. Can you identify it and provide any treatment options?
- Thank you for reaching out to the Richmond Master Gardeners. I will send you an e-mail to be able to get the pictures from you and we will try to give you some assistance.
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Identifying Plants
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Date Posted: Tue, Mar 26 - 1:41 am
- We were hoping to come to the event today but since it was canceled I'm contacting here instead. We would like help identifying some plants that are in our yard, I can send you photos. We have three kinds of holly and a few kinds of ground cover that we'd like to know more specifically what they are. Thanks.
- Hello! I can do my best to help you identify your plants. I will e-mail you to get your pictures. For others also looking for plant identification, technology has come a long way with plant ID apps. Two that come to mind are iNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org/) and Pl@ntnet (https://plantnet.org/en/). Google image also does a good job! And I find so many of the employees at our local garden nurseries to be very helpful with this!
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English Ivy Replacements
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Date Posted: Mon, Mar 18 - 12:49 am
- Hi there! We just had a ton of English ivy removed from our yard and were wondering if someone would be willing to help us plan/design the landscape since we have a mostly clean slate! Thanks for your time. Regards, Haven
- Oh! English Ivy is one of my enemies. I bet it feels so great to have it removed from your yard. And you are absolutely correct in wanting to plant in its place. We do not have any master gardeners going out on site to make recommendations like this, but many of our local nurseries are excellent resources for landscape and design advice (ex Sneeds, Cross Creek, Great Big Green house and I'm sure others)! There are even several local native plant growers that offer their services for this as well (ex Reedy Creek Environmental, Parallel Nursery). It seems like you are looking to take advantage of the blank slate you have and design a wonderful space for yourself. However, it you, or anyone else reading this answer, are interested in strictly filling the space left from removing english Ivy, The Northern Virginia Master Gardeners have a great article about replacing english ivy. Their top three suggestions include: golden ragwort (Packera aurea), Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) and Hairy alumroot (Heuchera villosa). Their full article can be found here: https://mgnv.org/invasive-plants/replacing-english-ivy/ Good luck!! Happy gardening!