Beautyberry safe to plant anywhere

Q: Are the berries of the American beautyberry poisonous? Should I plant it in an area restricted from small children?

KAY NORRIS, E-mail

A: I can’t find any mention of them being poisonous. Birds certainly enjoy them each fall. There is a long list of common landscape plants that could cause stomach upset but I don’t think they require segregation in your garden. I believe the kids will be safe if you exercise normal caution outdoors. More details at http://xrl.us/POISONOUSPLANTS

Q: We bought a healthy looking balled and burlapped ‘Allee’ elm from a tree farm. After about two days in the ground the leaves started to wrinkle and turn brown. Do you think it will recover by next spring?

KARIN TEAGUE, E-mail

A: I’m confident the tree will recover. Buying from a tree farm ensured that it had a healthy root system, although many were inevitably lost when the tree was dug. New roots will regenerate during the winter. The lost leaves are just your tree showing that it’s a bit shocked to be moved.

Q: I grew up in Gujarat, India, where I played among the surrounding neem trees. They had many uses: a leaf tea comforted rashes, twigs were used for cleaning teeth, smoke from the leaves kept mosquitoes and bugs away. I do not see this useful tree here. Does it not grow in our area?

RAJESH SHAH, E-mail

A: How I wish the multi-talented neem tree, Azadirachta indica, could be grown here! Its leaves provide the insecticide azadirachtin; the seeds give us an insecticidal oil. Neem preparations also control head lice and act as a spermicide. Unfortunately, the neem tree is only winter hardy as far north as Central Florida. Chinaberry, Melia azedarach, is close kin to neem and grows readily in Atlanta. Few studies have been done to determine its medical usefulness but I remember the seed fondly as a ready source of ammunition for throwing at my younger siblings 50 years ago.

Q: I’m on the heart transplant list at Emory —- bet you haven’t had too many of us contact you! When I get out and heal up, I want to do some small farming: animals, orchard, vegetables, etc., on 100 acres I own. Got any references for a project like this?

JOHN BRADEN, E-mail

A: To the contrary. My neighbor Missy is a seven-year transplant survivor and she regularly asks me gardening questions. Good luck to you!

The best resource for you is the fine organization Georgia Organics, www.georgiaorganics.org. It sponsors regular education sessions for small farmers, hosts the Growers Exchange blog and publishes a monthly e-newsletter.

Listen to Walter Reeves on Saturday mornings on NewsTalk 750 WSB-AM from 6 to 10. Call 404-872-0750 to ask questions. His Web site, www.walterreeves.com, contains thousands of answers to lawn and landscape questions. Call your local Extension office (1-800-ASKUGA-1) for personalized advice.

georgiagardener@yahoo.com