THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 28, 1996 TAG: 9607260080
SECTION: HOME & GARDEN PAGE: G3 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Gardening
SOURCE: Robert Stiffler
LENGTH: 113 lines
I have a white peony that is planted in an open area, receiving lots of sunlight. Every spring it produces a beautiful bush and many buds. Most buds grow to a large size but only a handful open up and bloom. The few blooms I get are not completely formed. Usually one side remains under developed. Do you have any ideas what the problem is and what I can do to correct it?
Ed Marroni, Norfolk
Your problem is thrips on the peony buds, a common problem with that flower. You'll need to spray Isotox or Orthene to prevent the problem. Another solution is to use a systemic insecticide with fertilizer around the plant. It will move up through the veins of the plant and kill the thrips when they suck juice from the buds.
This area is a little too hot for peonies. Many people who have peonies that never bloomed had dozens of blooms in May this year. And those that bloomed were more beautiful than ever. Most of this good bloom is due to the cold winter. Latest advice for Southern gardeners who want peonies is to plant early blooming varieties. They consistently provide the best blooms and healthy plants. Mail-order suppliers list them by early, mid-season or late-blooming varieties. Also try to plant where they do not get the hot afternoon sun.
If I cut back a 20-foot tall mulberry tree, will it grow back? How long would I have to wait for it to produce fruit again?
Patricia Nowell, Virginia Beach
Virginia Tech authorities say it should be cut back before it leafs out, which means you will need to wait until next year and prune it around March 1. That gives it the best chance to survive. It will be three or four years before it produces fruit again.
My question regards pampas grass that I planted twice in my backyard. It dies off after I plant it, but then the next year, it starts growing again. What am I doing wrong? I thought pampas grass would grow anywhere. My backyard is mostly clay and wet in spots when we have a lot of rain. I would really like to have some pampas grass in my yard because of its low maintenance. I see many around town and they look great when they get large. Why do some people cut them back at certain times of the year and other people do not? Does it help them grow faster?
Sherry Bender, Virginia Beach
Pampas grass is an African grass and does better on the Outer Banks than around Hampton Roads. It freezes out in the winter and grows back from its roots. That is probably what has happened to yours. Leave all the foliage on it this winter to prevent the crown from freezing. You also might want to try mulching it before winter and see if that helps. If you want to cut it back, do it in the spring. Because you want yours to be large, I'd not cut it back for several years and fertilize it with a pint of 10-10-10 or use a high-nitrogen lawn fertilizer. Some people cut it back to keep it from getting tall and wide. Once it gets large and strong, you can cut it back as much as you want.
We have several Ilex x attenuata ``Fosteri'' holly in our yard. All are trimmed in an umbrella form. What flowering or ground-cover plant will do well under them? We have tried a few annuals but nothing has done really well. We have daffodils under one and they seem to do very well. We want to provide heavy coverage in the bare areas.
Kelly B. Houlihan, Chesapeake
Your main problem is that the hollies get most of the food and moisture in the soil before your plants can grab their share. Your best bet for easy care is liriope or mondo grass. You can try pachysandra, hosta or ajuga but they'll problably not do as well. For color, try coleus, impatiens, ferns or caladiums, but they'll need plenty of water.
Last summer we rescued a beagle puppy from the SPCA. Since then she has chewed many items, including a daisy plant, two small trees and two small azaleas. Do you know of any plants, bushes, trees or flowers that would be offensive to a dog. She has not bothered a magnolia bush or the medium to large azaleas. We have a shady yard and will appreciate any hints you may have. We have tried commercial deterrents from a pet store and also cayenne pepper but nothing helps.
Suzanne Shipley, Virginia Beach
One of the problems with a puppy is that they like to dig and chew plants. I remember when I had bought and planted a $35 bush, only to go out the next morning to find my puppy had dug it up, shaken all the dirt off its roots and left it to die on the front sidewalk. But I still have that dog and love her more than ever. Puppies usually get over their digging as they age, but beagles are some of the worst diggers. You might consider taking her to obedience school, which usually helps.
Virginia Tech specialists say the pepper spray should have worked, but you need to use a spreader-sticker in it, available in any garden center. That helps hold the spray on the plant for a much longer time. I use hot pepper spray with a spreader-sticker to prevent rabbits from eating roses.
Where can I purchase Himalayan or Japanese white barked birch trees? They are supposed to be resistant to bronze birch borer.
Marie Ritzman, Virginia Beach
Hampton Roads Research Center specialists say this area is too hot for the bronze birch borer, and it's not a problem here. White barked birch trees do not grow well locally because of hot summers and mild winters. Heritage river birch is your best bet for an attractive birch tree.
We have a large hedge of about 75 photinia (red tip) plants that were planted 3 to 4 feet apart and about the same distance off our neighbors fences. We have had problems with leaf spot on them since we moved here five years ago. I have sprayed and cut them back, which helps but is not a complete cure. We like the barrier that the plants provide. It seems to me the plants should be placed farther apart and farther off the fence line. Would it help the leaf spot problem if I removed every other plant to give them more room?
Pete Hangen, Virginia Beach
Virginia Tech horticulturist Dan Milbocker answers an emphatic ``no'' to your question about thinning. He says spray with Maneb or Daconil to prevent and help correct the problem. Prune them only in winter. Fertilize them lightly each spring, and they should get back to good health. MEMO: No gardening questions will be taken over the phone. Write to
Robert Stiffler, The Virginian-Pilot, 150 W. Brambleton Ave., Norfolk,
Va. 23510. Answers will be published on a space-available basis. For an
earlier reply, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Early blooming varieties of peonies do best in the South. by CNB