Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 13, 1994 TAG: 9411180026
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN ARBOGAST
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Arboretum at Winding Way Road and Colonial Avenue S.W. in Roanoke on the campus of Virginia Western Community College. Plants are labeled, so write down ideas to try.
Even though the colorful annual flower display garden at the arboretum is gone, this is a great time to observe plants in their fall appearance. Smell the herbs.
The arboretum is open to the public. It's nice to know in this day of budget crunches that private funds built and are used to maintain the arboretum.
For more information or to arrange for a group tour, call 857-7120.
Q: I have several clematis vines that I need information on. Should I cut them back? They bloom well in the spring, but when it gets hot they stop blooming. I have them mulched well; I have low-growing marigolds to shade the clematis roots; I water them morning and night and fertilize them every two weeks with MiracleGro. They have formed little seed pods. Can these seed be sown? If so, when? M.W., Axton
A: There are different clematis varieties, but generally it's safe to prune them according to when they bloom. Since yours sounds like a variety that's only supposed to bloom in the spring, wait until the flowering is just finishing to prune. At that time, cut back shoots that have flowered to within one or two buds of the main framework branches of the plant.
It will likely be helpful if you water your clematis only once every five to seven days when needed next growing season rather than twice a day. This change will eliminate the problems of continually soggy soil, which allows little or no oxygen to the roots, causes weak roots and eventually brings on root rot and death. Also, cut back on the frequency of fertilizing. Diluted fertilizer applied once every four to six weeks should be sufficient.
Seeds of some clematis species are dormant when ripe and will not germinate without first undergoing a moist-chilling period of one to three months. Take some seeds out of their pods and either plant them outdoors now where the natural chilling of fall and winter affects the seeds and allows them to germinate in the spring or treat them yourself before sowing indoors by placing the seeds in a small jar in the refrigerator and covering them with a small amount of dry peat moss.
Q: How do you prune grape vines. Mine have not been pruned for several years. J.J.K., Roanoke
A: Grape vines should be pruned anytime after the vines become dormant. That will prevent the production from getting farther and farther away from the trunk. As I've said before, envision the work you'll need to do in pruning your grape vines by considering the following purposes: (1) remove dead parts; (2) eliminate excessive past growth, especially older branches; (3) select one-year-old branches that will fit on your trellis to produce grapes in the coming summer; (4) select small shoots that will grow during the coming season and can then be trained onto your trellis one year way; and (5) finally, reduce the number of plump buds remaining on those one-year-old branches by reducing the branch length so that grape production is not too heavy in the coming year.
Q: I have several pampas grass plants in almost full sun most of the year; one of them is approximately 4 years old; during the second and third summers, it grew quite large and had lots of plumes. Last winter, before it started warming up, I cut the old growth back. This summer the grass grew out around where it had been cut, but it did not have plumes. I have noticed this same growth pattern on some of my neighbors' plants. Please tell me what to do to get it to come back each year and have the plumes. S.T., Wirtz
A: Your pampas grass plants suffered from winter injury. The spring growth coming out around the edges of the old clump could be a result of aging of the plants as well as winter damage. Pampas grass is a tough ornamental grass that doesn't require much care, but it is a southern grass that needs mild winters or protection from frigid winter weather in our area if we expect full new growth in the spring and plumes during the summer.
Send short questions about your lawn, garden, plants, or insects to Dear John, c/o the Roanoke Times & World-News, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491. We need your mail, but this column can't reply to all letters. Those of wide appeal will be answered each week. Personal replies cannot be given. Please don't send stamps, stamped envelopes, samples, or pictures.
by CNB