IN THE GARDEN

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette rhubarb illustration.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette rhubarb illustration.

Q I love the beauty of rhubarb but have no success with it in southern Arkansas. Is it too hot or did I overwater?

A We struggle growing rhubarb in central Arkansas, and it isn't even all that easy in the northern tier; so growing rhubarb in southern Arkansas will be a real challenge. But that is not to say you can't grow it. Work up the soil, adding as much organic matter as you can. Rhubarb likes a rich soil, with ample water. Plant it where it gets full sun in the morning and total shade in the afternoon. Get it going, keeping it well watered, and if we get temperatures exceeding 90 to 95 degrees, consider adding a bit of shade even in the morning. I know of several gardeners who rig up shade cloth over their plants to shield them from extreme heat. Establishing it in the fall will also make it stronger, allowing it to establish a root system in the cooler months. Rhubarb is a perennial but a short-lived one in the South, so start a new plant each year for three years, and start over if the plants play out by year four.

Q I am installing a new circle drive and entryway with several newly added red maple and oak saplings to provide a shield from the highway, which when widened is going to be much closer to our home. To add to the shield, I would like to add quite a few perennials. In the interest of doing this more economically I would like to start from seed rather than plants. I am considering purple coneflowers, "Autumn Joy" sedum and ornamental grasses. I have also considered bamboo but am concerned about its invasiveness, and I wonder if there is some form of containment I could use.

A For screening purposes, I propose you use several layers. The trees are your taller layer, with evergreen and deciduous shrubs forming the next later, and perennials the lower layer. I would strongly argue against bamboo, unless you choose a clumping form. The running forms, despite the best intentions, usually escape and are a nightmare for years to come. Invasive plants are very regional, with several commenting to me that the winter honeysuckle I mentioned a few weeks ago is a challenging invasive for them in Northwest Arkansas. I would add some tougher evergreen plants, because I imagine you want a screen year-round, and the oaks and maples will lose their leaves, and purple coneflower and sedums die back for the winter. Ornamental grasses vary tremendously in mature size and will give you winter interest, but they do need to be cut back quite short before new growth begins each year in late February. There are many hollies that can work for a hedge or low shrubs, and they are evergreen. Dwarf magnolias would also work, along with "Bright and Tight" cherry laurel; elaeagnus and boxwood are evergreen choices. For deciduous shrubs, consider itea, viburnums and forsythia. Seeding of perennials is quite easy, and while you can start seeding this spring, you may also want to seed next fall, since they tend to get established a bit easier with a fall planting.

Q We just pulled up seven extra large 30-year-old holly bushes with a tractor. They still have roots showing, and they were very aggressive about multiplying with runners on the ground and new sprouts all the time even through black cover fabric. I want to make sure they die, and then I plan to plant new shrubs. I would like to put poison on the roots but don't want to use anything that will kill the shrubs I plant in a couple of months. What do you suggest I do? What will kill these holly bushes but not harm new plants later this spring?

A There is nothing I know of that will kill roots in the ground that wouldn't linger and affect new plantings. If you still have access to the tractor, put a disc on it and plow the area, exposing as many roots as possible. Your best bet is to till the area and keep chopping up the roots and then raking them out. I wouldn't be surprised, though, that in spite of your best efforts, you will get a few errant holly suckers. Just be diligent and keep after them this first year, and you should win the battle.

Q Late last summer or early fall you had an article in the paper about an herbicide to broadcast on crabgrass. It was supposed to be put out in February. It's February, and I cannot find the article. Can you tell me what the chemical is?

A Pre-emergent herbicides prevent annual weeds from germinating. Crabgrass is an annual summer weed that begins to germinate when warm weather begins. Applying a weed preventer in late February to late March (not a weed-and-feed -- you would be fertilizing only winter weeds now) should help prevent most of them from growing. Let the bitter cold weather pass before you use it. There are many choices, including Barricade (prodiamine), Pendulum or Scotts Halts (pendimethalin) and Dimension (dithiopyr). If you miss applying one now, or you have a heavy weed presence, products containing Quinclorac will kill crabgrass during the growing season.

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 02/21/2015

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