Q We put our house up on the market thinking it would take a while to sell, but it sold the first week, so I am moving much sooner than I had anticipated. I have a lot of plants that I want to take with me. Some are perennials like hostas and elephant ears that are still dormant, and there are some small shrubs that are dormant too. Can I move any of these things and if so, how do I go about doing it with any success? Do I pot everything up and wait for spring before replanting? I am not moving far, but it is about an hour away.
A Moving plants in the dormant season is actually easier on the plants than moving them in the heat of summer. The problem with some of the dormant perennials is you won't know for sure where they are unless you still have spent foliage on the surface. You have a couple of options. First, you can get a large box or container and put a light layer of soil in it. Dig up the perennials and put them in the container and lightly cover them with soil or shredded paper or mulch to protect the roots from cold and from drying out. Then move them to the new location and plant immediately. If you know where you want to plant, this would be best. Chances are you are going to have other moving things to do like setting up the house, and you may not have time to garden immediately. In that scenario, pot up each plant in its own container. When you get to your new home, create a little nursery. Put the pots near the foundation of the house and group them together with mulch around the pots to protect them. Water as needed and plant when you have time.
Q My mother always had a window full of African violets, and they seemed to bloom almost year-round. I want to know what I should be doing to get flowers on mine. I have some that never bloom and a few that have a bloom every now and then. Do I need special pots, fertilizer, what? I think they get enough light.
A Typically, if an African violet is not blooming it is not getting enough light. Full morning sun is best, but they also do well under fluorescent lighting or the new grow lights. If light from the window is not working, try putting them under artificial light. The plants need to be within 8 to 10 inches of the light source and it should be on for 10 to 12 hours a day. Most African violet growers fertilize frequently, but I would not do so more than once a month. You can use African violet fertilizer or any water-soluble fertilizer for blooming plants. Most people water from the bottom up by using a special pot with a wick or cord that keeps the soil evenly moist, but you can water from the top. Just avoid getting water on the foliage because it can cause spots. They usually perform best if they are slightly pot-bound. Make sure you don't upgrade them into a much larger pot, or the plant will spend its time putting out roots and not readily bloom.
Q I have a flowering cherry tree that we planted several years ago. It seems to be plagued by caterpillars every year in the spring. While they haven't killed the tree, it looks absolutely awful for the rest of the season. Is there some type of preventive treatment that I can do now to keep them off this year, or is it a fact of life that I have to live with?
A It sounds as if you have Eastern tent caterpillars. They have their preferred tree hosts and try to visit annually. Eastern tent caterpillars are one of those "here today, gone tomorrow" types of insects. When they are around, they are out in large numbers, but their life cycle is relatively short. They are quite the nuisance while they are here, and if they are defoliating a young tree over and over again, that can weaken the tree and lead to more problems. Check your trees now for any overwintering egg masses. If they have been in the same tree year after year, chances are they laid some eggs there as well. Typically, the masses are covered with a shiny black varnishlike material and encircle branches that are about pencil size or smaller in diameter. Removing the egg masses can definitely help. Then, watch the tree this spring. While I would not recommend preventive sprays, you can spray with an insecticide such as BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) as soon as you see the pests. You can also use a preventive barrier around the trunk of the tree to stop any more from climbing up. Lightly wrap a band around the trunk with a tree wrap coated in Vaseline or a sticky substance such as Tanglefoot. You don't want to put the substance directly on the bark; once the insects are gone, you can remove the wrap and throw it away without having every passing leaf stick to the base of the 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 01/28/2017