Q: How do I care for a poinsettia tree? Mine has dropped almost all its leaves, but I continue to water it every other day. — Jennifer Gregory, email
A: I think you've overwatered. If it has lost all of its leaves, it's probably not possible to save it. But you could try putting it in bright indoor light and watering it once a week. Put it in a shady spot outdoors when nights are warm.
Q: I have a gardenia that is 40 years old. The past two years, it has been putting out small leaves and losing branches and only producing a few flowers. — Donnie Shelton, Monroe
A: Try to rejuvenate it in place. Mix one pint of Milorganite organic fertilizer with a cubic foot of soil conditioner. Apply this in a layer 1/4-inch thick around the plant. Mix the layer into the dirt by repeatedly jabbing it with a spading fork and wiggling the fork. The Milorganite supplies a slow-release source of nutrients and the holes made by the spading fork aerate the soil around the gardenia roots.
Q: I just received six bare root roses. Instructions for planting are confusing; they say for bare root trees and shrubs not to fertilize the first year, yet for roses they say to fertilize at time of planting. — Harry Old, Cobb County
A: I think it is reasonable to use a light application of starter fertilizer, which has more phosphorus than other products, at planting time for roses. When the rose has achieved vigorous growth this summer, fertilize once again with rose fertilizer or timed release fertilizer. Consider using one of the combination fertilizer-fungicide-insecticide products. I have lots of general rose care tips at bit.ly/rosecare.
Q: Coming out of Bermuda dormancy, should I scalp or put down pre-emergent first? — Darryl Murray, email
A: Because scalping kickstarts the grass growth process too early, you don't want to do that now. Cold weather could damage unprotected grass plants. I recommend you don't scalp until the grass is 50 percent green, cutting just above the green crown of plants. Then, you can take advantage of the sunshine and warm soil to see green grass a little earlier than it normally would appear. As for pre-emergent, it should be applied around the first or second week of March.
Q: In January, I transplanted eight oaks from the woods to my yard. They are 4-9 feet tall. I applied a liquid 3-10-3 fertilizer to the surface of the backfill. What should my fertilizing schedule be now? — David Wheeless, email
A: I think it's more important to mulch than it is to fertilize them. The high phosphorus and low nitrogen content of your fertilizer is good, but for at least the first two or three years young trees don't need to be hurried along. If more nitrogen is applied and forces too much leafy growth, the roots will suffer. An inch-thick layer of wood chips under the drip line of each tree gives them the best care.
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