Q I recently bought tulip bulbs I intend to plant in November. Do they need to be refrigerated now before planting time?
A In Arkansas, tulip bulbs do not need to be chilled, but if you don't plan to plant for a month and you have an empty drawer in your refrigerator giving them extra chilling time would not hurt. The more chilling hours a tulip gets the taller they grow. Never freeze them. Chilling is fine but not a requirement. Don't store them around other fruits and vegetables.
Q I have a beautiful Crossandra annual in my flower garden and would like to preserve it for next year. How do I winter it over for springtime?
A You can give it a try, but I think you will probably have better luck just buying a new plant. You can try to dig it up now and put it in a pot. Water to get it re-established in the container and then move it in a week or so into the coolest, brightest spot indoors. Outside they do fine in partial shade, but they need bright light inside. Let it get a bit on the dry side between watering.
Q Our Rose of Sharon is growing nicely. When is the proper time to trim it back and how severely can we do so? It is about as big as we want it in its present spot.
A Althea, or Rose of Sharon, can be pruned as much or as little as you like in late February, before new growth begins. Some people want to prune in the fall when they go dormant, but leaving the older growth serves as winter protection for the plant.
Q I recently found a huge mum that had four different colors in one pot. Is this unusual?
A Large mum plants have numerous cuttings in the container to give them a full overall growth. Some growers mix up the colors to give the multicolor effect. It is actually four separate plants planted together in one pot. Enjoy!
Q I have tons of elephant ears planted because my backyard is 95 percent shade. The ones in the ground stay there and I mulch very heavily. Question: I have tons of them planted in pots that I dig up every year and re-plant in the spring. If I wanted to plant those in the ground and leave them, instead of in pots, would it be OK to put them in the ground now, or should I dig them up as usual and put them in the ground next year?
A It depends on the type. Common varieties are hardier than fancy leaf types, but neither would have much time to get a root system established before winter. Another option is to store the pots between your shrubs and your house. In that protected spot, if you mulch, you could leave them in their pots for the winter (depending on the container type). Terracotta pots are not very winter hardy since they can chip and flake with weather fluctuations of freezing and thawing. If they are the fancy elephant ears, I would dig and store for the winter to be on the safe side.
Q My yard has a lot of shade. In the past several years I have had an invasion of moss, especially in the more shady areas. How do I get rid of it?
A Why do you want to get rid of it? Moss is an excellent ground cover and requires very little care. It can be walked on, played on, doesn't need supplemental watering, although it would like some. If you have shade, you aren't going to have grass. If you still want to rid yourself of it, solve the reason you have it. Moss thrives in compacted soil that is moist and in the shade and typically the soil is quite acidic. If you have all of the above, learn to like moss.
If you have ever had the desire to tour Vietnam and learn about the tropical plants and unusual fruits and vegetables, come join the Arkansas Master Gardeners on their study tour in January. A few spots are still available. For more details, here is a link to the trip information: bit.ly/2du5m20.
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 10/15/2016