IN THE GARDEN

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette two hunks and a peony illustration.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette two hunks and a peony illustration.

Q I will be moving in the next 30 days and would like to take my peonies. Is it safe to take them now or will I kill them?

A Fall is the time to transplant and divide peonies, if needed, so it would be fine to take your peonies when you move. Dig them up and put them in a container, and replant them as soon as you can. Plant them in a sunny site with well-drained soil. They should be planted at the depth they are currently growing or slightly more shallow. Peonies won't bloom well if they are planted too deeply. They also might pay you back for disturbing them by not blooming next spring, but should bounce back and bloom the following year.

Q Several years ago you suggested a chemical to put on azaleas to help protect them against the bronzing leaf color in the summer. I bought some and used it in late February. My azaleas have been absolutely perfect all year, part of it due, probably, to the rain we had. However, I give a lot of credit to the recommendation you made. I thought I would plan in advance and buy some now to have on hand, but I can't remember what it was I used. Can you help?

A The bronzing of the foliage on azaleas is typically caused by lacebug feeding. Imidacloprid is the chemical, and the common names are Merit, Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub insecticide, or systemic insect granules. One application in early spring should give you a season free of lacebugs. I only recommend this for plants that are commonly attacked. You don't need to treat every plant in your landscape. This is the same product we use for the scale insects on crape myrtles.

Q I have several small raised beds in my yard where I grow vegetables. I continue to have trouble with what I believe is blight (yellowing of the leaves starts at the bottom of the plants and moves up) on my tomato plants even though they were planted in a different part of the bed. I had some tomatoes, but the amount and the season were quite short. Would it be worth the effort and expense to take out the old soil and replace it? I incorporated some compost into the soil this year. Did this contribute to the problem or help?

A Soil diseases on tomatoes are quite common, and replacing the soil is an option when we use raised beds. After all, a raised bed is really a large container. Compost should not have made the problem worse. The extra rain this year helped some gardeners and hurt others. Make sure you practice good sanitation -- removing all the spent plants from the beds now if they are done, or when you end the growing season this fall. If you do replace the soil, continue to rotate crops each season. Our recommendation is not to replant in the same spot for at least three years. If you have several raised beds, you might consider solarizing one next summer. Work up the soil, wet it and cover with clear plastic for six weeks any time from July to September. The heat can sterilize the soil.

Q Is it too late for me to trim crape myrtles and red top photinias? I also have some large woody plants that are growing around my backyard that I have cut back, but they just seem to be doing better than ever. I have heard that you put salt on them to kill them. Is it rock salt? And how do you do it without killing everything around it?

A The time to prune crape myrtles is in February, before new growth begins. Pruning them in the fall can expose them to damage if we have a cold winter. The key is to get them through the bulk of the winter before pruning. If your red top photinia just needs a light trim, that is fine to do now, but severe pruning -- removing more than a third of the plant -- should be done in the spring. You don't want to encourage too much new growth this late in the season. I do not like to use salt to kill plants, as salt will stay in the soil for a long time and can migrate by leaching, doing damage to nearby root systems. Once you cut the trees down, paint the stumps with an herbicide such as Brush-B-Gon, Brush Killer or Roundup Super Concentrate. Monitor these trees next spring, and if you see new growth, repeat the above process.

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 09/30/2017

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