Q: I recently moved to the country: 12 acres of pasture, hardwoods, and a patch of pines between me and the road. When things started blooming this spring, I noticed that there are some small Bradford pears among the pines. I conquered kudzu by painting the crown stumps with herbicide. Should I declare war on Bradford pear? Martha Glisson, email
A: By all means, declare war! Those seedlings are only the first vanguard of a Bradford pear invasion. You know that the tree has no thorns. But when a Bradford pear blooms near another variety, like ‘Chanticleer’, ’Cleveland Select’ or ‘Autumn Blaze’, it produces seeds. When those seeds sprout, they produce small shrubby trees adorned with wicked thorns! The thorns are 2-3 inches long and can penetrate a tractor tire or the sole of a shoe. The seedling roots interlace with their neighbors such that after a few years, the only way to remove them is with large machinery. If you can control the roots with herbicide when the Bradford pear seedlings are young, you’ll save yourself from a heaping helping of aggravation. You’ll have more time to sit on your front porch and enjoy the smells and sounds of country living. More than 500 people have signed a petition to ban the sale of Bradford pears in Georgia. Details at bit.ly/GAbradpet.
Q: My Coral Bell azaleas have become tall and leggy, reaching about 7 feet tall. I would like to maintain them at 4 feet. How much can I prune them and get them to branch out? Will they survive a drastic pruning? They are in a very shady area. Mickey Baskett, email
A: That’s big! Most of the ‘Coral Bells’ azaleas I see are 3-4 feet tall. If they were growing in bright dappled sunlight, your azaleas could probably tolerate a drastic cut using energy from the sun to repair damage. But like all plants, azaleas need adequate light to thrive. Since yours are growing in a very shady spot, I don’t think they will get enough light to recover properly after a drastic cut. Instead, eyeball each plant and determine how much pruning it would take to remove a third of the total foliage this year. Leaving two-thirds of the leaves on an azalea should be plenty to reduce its size and also to provide enough energy to initiate new growth. Remove another third next year. It will take a few years’ time, but your azaleas will finally be reduced in height and healthy in appearance.
Email Walter at georgiagardener@yahoo.com. Listen to his occasional garden comments on “Green and Growing with Ashley Frasca” Saturday mornings on 95.5 WSB. Visit his website, www.walterreeves.com, or join his Facebook page at bit.ly/georgiagardener for his latest tips.
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