IN THE GARDEN

ADG illustration by Ron Wolfe
elephant ear
ADG illustration by Ron Wolfe elephant ear

Q I just inherited two small elephant ear plants in pots. Should they be planted in the ground? Any help will be appreciated.

A I would not attempt planting elephant ears this late in the season. Since they are in containers and not well established in the ground, they should be easy to lift and store. Either before or immediately after a killing frost, take the bulbs out of the pots, let them air dry for a couple of days, and knock off as much of the soil as possible. Store them in a breathable container, as sealed plastic will cause them to rot. They can be kept in your garage in a cool, dry place and be planted next spring, either in the ground or in a container outside.

Q Some 15 years ago I planted a tree that was given to me as a chinquapin. It was about 36 inches tall at the time of the planting. The tree is now about 20 feet tall with an 8-inch trunk. I have been told by many of the locals that the chinquapin had suffered many years of a blight and all but totally disappeared. When the tree was about 8 years old, it started to bear very -- and I mean very -- prickly "nut pods." The pods contained very small half-round seeds. The tree has done so until this year, whereupon large nuts have been appearing ... lots of them. My neighbor has told me that the nuts are far too big for a chinquapin, but are chestnuts. Either way I'm very happy with what I'm getting, as my wife and I have really enjoyed raising the tree. Please have a look at my picture and tell us what we have.

A The trees are very closely related, both in the Castanea genus. Chestnuts normally have multiple nuts inside the spiny pods, while the chinquapin has only one nut per spiny pod. The size of the nuts can be 1 inch or more for both species. Chestnuts and chinquapins have both been battling chestnut blight, but we do see some of both species surviving statewide.

Q Please suggest a tree to plant in the yard. It will get heavy morning sun and some sun most of the day. I would like a tree that will have color some time of the year. I like Japanese maples, but they grow so slowly.

A I am assuming you want a medium-size tree since you are considering a Japanese maple. I like Chinese pistache -- outstanding red foliage in the fall. Blackgums are also a good choice with great fall color and a fairly narrow, upright growth habit. Amur maple or a red maple would also be good choices.

Q Last year my Knock-out roses took a real beating due to ice and cold. They were leggy and over 6 feet tall. The ice and frozen rain caused a frozen mess, which was very hard to handle. I pruned them back by about half in the spring, and they have grown back to the same height. Since many are calling for another hard winter, what would be the impact on them if I cut them back now in order to avoid the tangled mess I had to deal with last spring?

A To make the plants more stable for potential winter weather, after a killing frost you can cut them back to a height of 4 feet or more. Do not take them back more than that or you will cut off their winter protection. In late February, cut them back to within 18 inches of the ground. We have changed our recommendation about pruning Knock-out roses. It used to be that they only needed to be cut back by one-third, but now we are taking a more drastic approach. Severe pruning gives them more new growth, with more blooms, and that should help give you a healthier and fuller plant. If you pruned them hard before winter, you might lose them entirely if we have a really cold winter, as you cut off the buffer top growth.

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 10/11/2014

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