Q My brother recently sold his house and wants to remove a rosebush from the backyard to transplant eventually in his new place. However, he is moving into a small space for several months before he finds a place of his own again, with a yard. He has rented a large storage unit and would like to place the rosebush in a pot inside the storage unit, while it's dormant during the winter. Is this possible to do with rosebushes, and, if so, is it best to keep it in the dark with very little water until he can (presumably) plant it somewhere in the spring? I should add that this rosebush has a lot of sentimental value. His wife died last January; she had planted the rosebush years ago, and it had become very prolific.
A I would do two things. One is take some cuttings and start rooting them indoors, as a safety net. Then put the rose in a large container and keep it moist -- but not wet. Wrap the container in burlap or bubble wrap to add extra protection to the roots. An unheated storage unit can get pretty nippy if temperatures are really low. The key is to make sure the roots don't freeze. The tops can be pruned back. Another option is to put the potted rosebush in a large cardboard box with shipping peanuts all around it. Don't seal the box, just leave it open. This would also help protect the roots from freezing. I actually have some unplanted shrubs in pots behind other plants next to the foundation of my house with leaves piled around them. I had plants survive outdoors this way last winter as cold as it was.
Q Cold weather came before I could dig up my banana trees. Is there any advice to save them after the cold, frosty weather visit?
A Occasionally banana plants have survived our winter in the ground, but not last year. You have two options. Dig them up and store the crown and roots in your garage or somewhere protected. Or say a prayer and cover the plant heavily with mulch for the rest of the winter and see what happens come spring.
Q My daughter in Ward has a small azalea plant that was blooming up until the hard frost. How could I get a cutting from this plant so I could try and grow one myself? It is a lovely plant, and its being small would work very well at my place.
A Azaleas are easy to propagate from cuttings. The best time to propagate is early summer, when the new growth has had a chance to strengthen but before it turns totally woody. However I have used pieces pruned in late spring, and they rooted quite nicely. The easiest approach for home gardeners is to create a greenhouse environment by putting the cuttings in moist, sterile potting mix in a container and covering the whole thing in clear plastic. Put this in a shady spot in the yard. They typically will root in three or four weeks.
Q My persimmon tree did not fruit this year. I have two males and one female persimmon, all in close proximity to each other. Even in the severe drought years, we have had fruit, lots of it. All my other trees, especially my walnut, overproduced this year. I have talked with several other folks who have persimmons and all but one have said the same thing ... the one exception said he had fruit, but very, very little. He also found that strange. What gives?
A I don't have a good answer. I have seen trees loaded with persimmons across the state this year. I will make some guesses. Did you have an exceptionally heavy crop last year? Persimmons can go through what is known as alternate bearing, a heavy crop one year and little to none the next. It is also possible your tree was hit by a late frost, which could have damaged the blooms. Not much can be done at this point, but hope for a better year next year.
Q I have just found the crape myrtle scale on my crape myrtle tree. I hadn't noticed it when the tree was covered in leaves, but now I see black and white up and down the trunks. What should I be doing now?
A If the tree is heavily infested, you can use a soft brush with warm, soapy water and clean it. Then you can saturate the trunks with a dormant oil to help kill any remaining scale. In late winter/early spring apply Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub insecticide or a product containing the systemic Imidacloprid.
Janet B. Carson is a horticulture specialist for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Write to her at 2301 S. University Ave., Little Rock, Ark. 72204 or email her at
jcarson@arkansasonline.com
HomeStyle on 12/06/2014