In the Garden with Janet Carson

IN THE GARDEN: Leaf mulching limits, weedy juniper and identifying aphid damage

Leaves do a good job of smothering ground and can be used as mulch, but don't leave them covering your lawn. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/JANET B. CARSON)
Leaves do a good job of smothering ground and can be used as mulch, but don't leave them covering your lawn. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/JANET B. CARSON)

Q I recently read an article regarding environmental concerns with bagging and trashing leaves. I have been mowing but concerned if there can be too much mulched leaves on our St. Augustine grass. Last year, I raked approximately 100 bags of oak leaves at our 1.5 lot Hillcrest home. Any insight would be helpful.

A As with most things in the gardening world, there is no definitive, right or wrong answer. If you have a lot of deciduous trees in your yard, there is no way you can mulch them all with a lawnmower and leave them in place. It would not be healthy for your lawn. I start the fall season just mowing, but as they begin to fall in earnest I start raking. I use my leaves as mulch. I have a shredder/sucking machine that can shred them. I use shredded leaves in my flower beds and vegetable gardens. I used to have a very shady backyard, and I use the rest of my leaves whole as a mulch for the area where the dogs run. Over time, they break down. I wish the city of Little Rock would take a page from North Little Rock and allow residents to rake the excess leaves next to the street (not in it). They periodically come by with a machine that sucks up the leaves.

Grass is starting to outcompete this juniper groundcover. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
Grass is starting to outcompete this juniper groundcover. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)

Q We have a lot of grass growing in our juniper groundcover. Is there anything that will kill the grass without damaging the groundcover?

A Wow, I see more grass than groundcover in your photo. Unfortunately, juniper groundcovers are quite sensitive to the grass-killing chemicals, so I think you need to simply start over. Dig it all up and start from scratch. Hand-weeding is not pleasant with the sticky nature of the junipers. Sorry I don't have a better answer.

Elaeagnus having a bad hair day. Pruning shrubs in the fall is risky. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/JANET B. CARSON)
Elaeagnus having a bad hair day. Pruning shrubs in the fall is risky. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/JANET B. CARSON)

Q With the extended hot weather, my shrubs seem to have had a growth burst. I really do not want to look at them being so straggly all winter. Is it too late to trim them?

A I assume you were also doing a good job watering to get the new growth. If they are spring bloomers, such as azaleas, don't prune much or you will take off potential blooms. If you have tall sprouts, just cut them to a manageable shape, no more. If you have evergreen shrubs such as holly or boxwood, minimal shaping can be done now, but no severe trimming. We don't want to expose the branches too much as they head into winter.

Aphids don't chew holes in leaves; they sip sap and can leave them shriveled, like this one. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/JANET B. CARSON)
Aphids don't chew holes in leaves; they sip sap and can leave them shriveled, like this one. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/JANET B. CARSON)

Q I have green beans that are being chewed on by a tiny black insect, maybe aphids? I was wondering if your home remedy of Murphy Oil Soap and water is safe to use on my green beans?

A Aphids are small insects and can be black in color, but I don't think they are the problem. Aphids don't chew holes in the leaves, they suck sap out of the foliage. Bean leaf beetles or some other type of beetle could be the culprit. Insecticidal soap can help, but now that the weather has turned colder, your problem might be solved.

Happy elephant ears burgeon in a reader's garden. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
Happy elephant ears burgeon in a reader's garden. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)

Q We are totally astonished with the size of the elephant ears growing in our side yard in Fayetteville. The leaves are almost as tall as I am (5-foot-2). We wondered if you had some information in type and how we preserve them this winter season?

A Not all elephant ear varieties are winter-hardy in Northwest Arkansas. To ensure they come back, you will want to harvest them before a killing frost or soon after. Dig up the bulbs, being careful not to damage them; cut the tops off and let them air dry in a garage or storage area for a week or so. Then get a large cardboard box and fill it with shredded paper, dry peat moss or something similar. Put the bulbs inside and store in a cool, dry place until spring. Then replant.

Retired after 38 years with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Janet Carson ranks among Arkansas' best known horticulture experts. Her blog is at arkansasonline.com/planitjanet. Write to her at P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, AR 72203 or email

jcarson@arkansasonline.com

Style on 10/19/2019

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