Q: I have fallen in love with the new black and blue salvia. What can I do to encourage it to return year after year? My plants are spectacular! — Anne Page, email
A: There are several different species of salvia. Some are annual and some are perennial. I have Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue' in my landscape and it has never had a problem with winter cold. The clump has grown larger and it comes back reliably every year. Cut down the brown stems in winter and new sprouts will appear in May.
Q: If I spray Roundup on the little plants around my rose of Sharon, will it kill the tree? — Wanda Paul, email
A: It's not likely. The sprouts are typically from individual seedlings that sprouted this past spring. They are not attached to the main plant. Be cautious, though, and examine closely those nearest the trunk. If they are sprouts from the roots of the mother plant, the weedkiller could travel from the sprout back to the original.
Q: I have limited space in my garden and plants with long vines, like cantaloupe, watermelon and cucumbers, take up too much room. Will they do OK climbing, or is it best for them to spread across the ground? — Anita Mitchell, email
A: As long as the leaves get plenty of sunshine, it's fine to build a trellis of some sort for the vines to climb. You can make a sling out of cloth to hold the fruit above the ground without causing too much weight on the vine.
Q: I recently learned about boxwood blight. My property has many Asian and English boxwoods. My yard service said they would disinfect their trimmers with Lysol. But what can I spray for prevention? — Margaret Wyatt, email
A: It may seem extreme, but, if you have treasured boxwoods, your landscape crew should sterilize their tools and put on disposable Tyvek uniforms before coming on your property. Boxwood blight spores are very sticky, and they will adhere to pruning tools, shovels, workers' clothing and hands, as well as the fur and feathers of wild and domestic animals (dogs, cats, rabbits, wild turkeys, etc.). Once your shrubs are infected, boxwood blight cannot be cured. Preventative fungicides include chlorothalonil (Daconil, Spectro, etc) and fludioxonil (Medallion, Palladium). I have pictures and further information at bit.ly/GAboxblight.
Q: I have several fruit trees. What would be the best mulch around the base of the trees? — Don Williamson, Conyers
A: Any mulch (bark chips, woodchips, pine straw, etc.) will be fine. The main thing is to pull it away from the trunk of the tree 6 inches. Otherwise, voles may get in and chew the bark, and that’s not good.
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