Q: Is the sap from an agave plant poisonous? My finger was stabbed by the tip of a leaf a week ago and it still hurts! Megan Hurd, email
A: I can sympathize! A wound from an agave is almost guaranteed to engender a loud swear word. Agave sap contains calcium oxalate, which forms bundles of needlelike crystals called raphides. The sharp tip of an agave leaf easily penetrates skin and immediately releases the irritants that cause sudden pain and long-lasting soreness. My agave-loving friend David McMullin (newmoongardens.com) wears special puncture-resistant gloves and is extra careful where he backs up. He says the dead black tip of each leaf can be removed with toenail clippers but be careful not to cut into the green part of the leaf. Local gardening teacher Sally Elliott says she has a basketball-size Queen Victoria agave, Agave victoriae-reginae, that is currently blooming on a 12-foot-tall stalk!
Q: I needed a fast screen so I bought two Leyland cypress trees. Unfortunately, I discovered I planted them only 20 inches from a sprinkler line, which is 8 inches deep. Do you think I can leave them? Bob Torcivia, Athens
A: If this is a plastic water line, as most are, there should be no problem. A tree root cannot tell there is water inside a pipe. To them, a water line that's not leaking is the same as a rock; roots will pass it by with no damage likely.
Q: I've got some pesky birds which keep eating my pea/bean seedlings. I've tried aluminum pans tied to a stake but this hasn't helped so far. Chris Uberto, email
A: I've never seen a bird repellent that worked very well. Pie pans, reflective tape, balloons, and plastic owls seem to work equally well, with a success rate close to zero. The only thing I know that works is to cover the plants with bird netting or chicken wire. It's not terribly complicated to make a dozen wooden stakes that can be spaced down the row to support netting or wire. When the seedlings are a foot tall, you can remove the cover because the plants are rooted well enough to resist bird tugging.
Q: I am looking for a low-growing fern, maybe a foot tall, to be planted alongside some rocks. The site is almost 100% shade. Thomas Skarbek, email
A: Ebony spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron), maidenhair spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes), northern maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum) and Southern maidenhair fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris) would all work. They differ a little bit in size and "ferniness," so I'll leave you to decide. Locally, the GSU Perimeter College Native Plant Botanical Garden (bit.ly/natplant) has regular fern sales that will resume when the coronavirus situation is resolved.
Listen to Walter Reeves’ segments at 6:35 a.m. on “Green and Growing with Ashley Frasca” Saturday mornings on 95.5 WSB. Visit his website, www.walterreeves.com, follow him on Twitter @walterreeves, on Pinterest, or join his Facebook Fan Page at bit.ly/georgiagardener for more garden tips.
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