Q: You said on your radio show that gardeners should shake off the dirt from potted trees and shrubs before planting so the roots could be untangled and separated. A few weeks ago I planted three oak trees that were in five-gallon containers. I did not shake off the dirt or separate the roots. Should I dig them up? Jason Murray, White County
A: I know it will be a pain to do it but I think you'll be better off to dig up the trees, spread out the roots, and replant. In my experience, container-grown trees inevitably have circling roots that need straightening outward. Circling roots eventually will grow large enough to impinge on the trunk of a tree, cutting off the flow of water and nutrients. Your intent is to have healthy trees for many years, and if there is any problem with your oak tree roots, you'll live to regret not giving them the best start.
Q: What is the advantage, if any, to burning a Bermuda grass lawn when dormant? Greg Smith, email
A: You might get an unanticipated conversation with your insurance person, but it might not be so pleasant. My father was an insurance agent for 35 years. He had several clients who set their carport, siding, shed, car, etc. on fire while burning their lawn. With dry grass, even a small breeze can push a little fire quickly beyond your control. The claims that burning a lawn adds nutrients to the soil are false.
Q: I went to a nursery and they sold me a Bartlett pear. Doing my research after the fact, I found this pear is not recommended for Georgia. Why? Tim Kirkbride, Gwinnett County
A: 'Bartlett' pear isn't recommended because it gets fire blight disease so readily. Fire blight is incurable. The only homeowner treatment is to prune out the blackened branch tips. 'Orient', 'Baldwin' 'Carrick', 'Kieffer' and 'Warren' pears are much more resistant to disease. The University of Georgia has a very nice guide to growing pears at bit.ly/UGApear.
Q: Can we grow chia in Georgia? I like to sprinkle the health-giving seeds on my cereal. Rachel Higgins, Atlanta
A: I have fond college memories of growing chia on a clay figure of Richard Nixon. He had a scraggly green beard but not much hair! Chia, Salvia hispanica, needs such a long growing season to produce seed that only gardeners in South Georgia could try it. Like many salvias, it needs the short days of late fall to produce flowers. Even if you get chia to flower, the seeds are so tiny that it takes hours to shake them loose and winnow the chaff. But researchers at the University of Kentucky are undeterred! They are breeding new chia varieties that don't have such exacting requirements, hoping to find a new crop for Kentucky farmers. You can try growing chia in a sunny garden next spring, but don't get your hopes up.
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