Q I have a Lenten rose plant that is getting too crowded. I need to move it. When should I move it, and is it possible to divide it when I do?
A Lenten rose or hellebore is a fabulous evergreen perennial that blooms in the winter months and in the shade. Wait until after the plant has totally finished blooming before transplanting it. This should, roughly, be in mid-April. Dividing the mother plant is usually not recommended, but you can remove crowns that are coming up around the mother plant. A nice, clean cut to sever the ties should be safe. Remember, the plant is poisonous, which is why deer leave it alone. Some people have an allergic reaction if the sap touches their skin, so wear gloves when handling it.
Q I already have daffodil foliage coming up in my garden, and I think it is a bit early. Last year I had very few blooms. Do daffodils eventually play out and stop flowering? What is their life expectancy? Is there anything I can do to make them bloom again?
A Early daffodils are up in many gardens. Our milder weather has not slowed them down like last year. There is no life expectancy for daffodils, but if they get too crowded, they won't bloom as well, and if they are growing in too much shade after they bloom, they will not get enough energy to set buds.
If you want to make a difference for next year's flowering, the time to divide them or move them to a sunnier location is immediately after flowering. It is during the six- to eight-week period following bloom that spring-flowering bulbs set their flowers for the following spring. Digging, dividing and replanting in a sunny spot with a little fertilizer and water -- and keeping the foliage healthy and green for at least six weeks -- should result in showy blooms next spring.
Q I had almost a dozen hosta plants that I grew in pots all summer long. They have gone dormant now and are out on my deck. A friend told me they will die in pots left outside for the winter. Is there someplace I should move them to help them survive, or have I already waited too late?
A I grow hostas in pots on the deck and in the soil in my garden, and they both come back great every year -- even after the past two hard winters. The size of the container can make a difference. If the pots are really small, there isn't as much protection for the root system, since the soil will get colder. But I left one in a 4-inch pot and it came back after last winter. They are tougher than you think. So far this winter we have had ample moisture, but if really low temperatures are predicted, make sure the pots have not totally dried out and you should be fine. Pot size will also determine eventual mature size of the plants, since the roots are more constricted in smaller pots.
Q We recently moved into a new home, and we now have fig trees. I was told that they almost died the past two winters, but they are about 10 feet tall, so I guess they rebounded pretty well. How tall do fig trees get? I have never grown one and know nothing about them. Is there anything I should be doing now that they are dormant to protect them from winter damage?
A For years we considered figs as bushes rather than trees because they froze back so often. Then we entered a period of milder winter weather and the figs responded so that we now have some that are easily 15 to 20 feet tall and some almost that big around. The past two winters did cause some dieback, and a few died completely. Fig roots are usually much hardier than the top growth. Figs bear fruit on the current season's growth, so even when the tree is damaged you will get some figs -- just not as many. We can keep our fingers crossed that winter will be on the mild side, but if temperatures below 20 degrees are predicted, adding extra mulch or covering the tree will give you a bit more protection, but it is hard to cover a tree.
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 01/02/2016