Q I moved from Illinois and have been here eight years. I miss the dirt up North. My yard here is rock-filled, and it's difficult to dig holes. Every year, I buy perennials and annuals and put them in my front yard with southern exposure, and they proceed to expire. I have luck with trees I plant but not much else. Please help. I'm tired of throwing my money away and not having my plants to show for it.
A Remember that the foundation of a garden is the soil that the plants have to grow in. Some Arkansans are blessed with deep, rich soil, but many of us have more than our fair share of rocks. A rocky soil is not a great environment for plant growth. Amending the soil, building raised beds or a combination approach should give you more success. I would also suggest testing the drainage of the beds you have. Dig a hole about the depth you would plant in, and then fill it with water until the water stands. In a well-drained soil, the water level should go down an inch per hour. If the water sinks too fast, then it is hard to keep the plants watered in a dry summer, and if it stands for days, the plants are swimming when it rains. Both scenarios are not ideal for plant growth. Raised beds help here as well, since you bring in the medium you want to grow in and you can manage water more easily.
Q I have a poinsettia from Christmas and have read that one of the things I should do to keep it thriving is to repot it into a slightly larger pot. Is this a good idea?
A To keep the poinsettia looking good and holding its color, I would leave it in the same pot, but keep it evenly moist and in ample sunlight. Repotting it can be done if you decide to keep it as a houseplant past spring. Some gardeners have a hard time throwing away a plant, so they keep them around. Getting them to be as fully in bloom with colorful bracts next year is hard to do, and in my opinion, not worth the effort.
Q My husband is eager to prune our crape myrtles and our fig trees. I think you said to wait until February to do this. Please advise.
A Since we finally have had some winter weather, I think it is important to wait until late February before pruning, especially your fig tree. If you prune it too early, you expose more of the plant to potential damage. I would make sure they are out of the woods from winter weather before pruning. I don't think it is a bad idea to even wait until March, depending on what the rest of the winter brings. I have seen many crape myrtles already butchered. Even when these trees are pruned properly, they tend to be less attractive than when they are left full of limbs. Early pruning does expose more of the plant to winter injury should we get any severe weather, so tell him to be patient.
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 01/30/2016