Q We want to plant some tomatoes in large pots. Fire ants are in some of the pots as the soil was left in them since last growing season. If we put fire ant killer in the pots, does the poison go into the tomatoes?
A Any insecticide you are using around vegetable plants has to be labeled for use on edibles. Since it is in pots, why not just dispose of the soil in the containers, clean them thoroughly with a bleach solution and use new soil? That also would prevent you from being attacked. If the pots are very large and you don't want to invest in more soil, another option would be drowning: Flood the soil and then seal the container in plastic. Leave it covered for a few weeks to smother them out. But fire ants can be tenacious.
Q I bought some woodland ferns at a great price recently. I want to do a shady garden in our backyard with hosta and a couple of shrubs. When the trees leaf out, the light is filtered and mostly shady. However, right now, with most of the trees just barely beginning to leaf out, it is fairly sunny back there. Can I go ahead and plant the ferns, or should I leave them in pots in mostly shade until the trees provide more shade?
A When we talk shade gardens and shade plants, we are talking about summer light -- or sunlight when it is most intensely hot. Deciduous trees do allow sunlight in during the winter, but that should not affect shade perennials or shrubs. Go ahead and plant now.
Q I have some tulips, old-fashioned day lilies and irises (what I grew up calling flags) that need to be thinned out. When is the right time to thin all of these? I live in Conway.
A If your old-fashioned tulips re-bloom every year and they are too crowded, divide them as soon as the flowers start to fade and let the foliage persist as long as possible after bloom. Most of the new tulip varieties are treated as annuals since they don't bloom well the second year. Tulips are one of the last spring bulbs to bloom, and in Arkansas, the foliage often dies down quickly -- which doesn't allow time to replenish flowers. For day lilies, you can divide either in spring as they emerge or in fall as they are going dormant. If you know they are too crowded now, divide and replant; and you should see flowers this season. For irises, the best time to divide is six to eight weeks after bloom, which normally falls around the middle of July. If irises are too crowded, they will not bloom well.
Q Last year I grew tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers in plastic containers. They looked very healthy and green, but not much fruit. We have sprinklers on a timer to water them every day. The area does get sun most of the day. Could you please advise on what I might be doing wrong and what is the best way to grow them healthy and fruitful? I bought a tomato plant in a plastic container, and it was full of tomatoes, but it did not grow any more tomatoes after that. I must be doing something wrong.
A What size are these containers? I think the minimum size a container should be for vegetable production is a 5 gallon pot. Bigger can sometimes be better. Small containers limit root growth, which in turn will limit top-growth and production. Also, how often did you fertilize? Daily watering leaches nutrition out quickly. Slow-release and granular fertilizers stick around longer in the soil than water-soluble ones, but you still need to increase the frequency of fertilization for plants in pots. It sounds like you have the needed six to eight hours of sunlight, so I would think changing container size and/or fertilizer will alter your results.
Q Fungus is slowly ruining my red top photina screen. I would like to use 20 to 30 big leaf viburnum as a replacement. Could you tell me if now, spring, or fall is the best time to plant the viburnums in El Dorado?
A I think you are referring to Viburnum utile. I think it would be a great idea. "Conoy" is one variety that should be available but may not get as tall as you want -- or as tall as the red tops. It does have beautiful flowers. Another viburnum that will get taller is V. awabuki "Chindo." It has glossy, evergreen foliage and would be winter hardy in El Dorado. It does have fragrant white flowers and good berry set once it begins to bloom. Spring or fall planting is fine with either, but you will probably find more choices available in the spring.
Q I have a 20-year-old Meyer lemon tree. This year it produced 26 lemons, the most ever. Is it OK to prune this tree after all fruit has been harvested? I also have an orange tree (miniature) about the same age and also would like to prune it back after it has dropped all its fruit.
A Citrus trees that get too large or need thinning can be pruned in the spring after harvest, but have a reason to prune. Don't prune just because a lemon tree has finished fruiting. Same thing with the orange tree. Sometimes excess branching occurs in the center, so opening it up allows better air flow and sunlight penetration. Pruning after fruiting allows the plants a little time before they begin to flower again. Try not to prune off more than a third of the plant at any time, and do selective thinning -- not just shearing.
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 03/25/2017