Q: I have tulip bulbs in big pots on my deck and patio. Do you think the bulbs, if frozen, will bloom in the spring? Ted Brosmore, email
A: Tulips come through the winter unscathed in Minnesota, where the ground freezes solid in winter. If your bulb pots have drain holes and the soil is not waterlogged, I'd expect your tulips to be fine for spring blooming.
Q: I plan to buy two 65-gallon rain barrels to collect spring rainwater. In July when everything is dry, I will use it to water my fruit trees. How can I keep the water from becoming stagnant? Keith Haynie, email
A: Add eight drops of household bleach for each gallon of water to disinfect it. But I think your trees need more water than your barrels can economically provide. They may need 20 gallons each per week in the dead of summer. If the barrels cost $50 apiece, you're investing $100 to save $1.30 of water. Let's say you use the barrels each summer for 10 years and you collect and use 1,000 gallons each year. If water prices are $.01 per gallon, you'll only earn back your initial $100 in that 10 years. I suggest you use the barrel money to buy "bag drippers" (TreeGator, etc), mulch and municipal water.
Q: This spring, I intend to plant several giant timber bamboo plants. What kind of spacing do you recommend for planting this clumping bamboo? I read online that this type of bamboo grows in zones 8-10. Adam Alexander, Kennesaw
A: Timber bamboo may be cold-hardy to Zone 8 but Kennesaw is in Zone 7. The recent winter cold would have killed your plants. Clumping bamboos are typically tropical in nature. Umbrella bamboo, Fargesia nitida, is very cold-tolerant but not heat- and sun-tolerant. If you want to take the risk, I have a list of clumping bamboos at bit.ly/bambooclump.
Q: We grew a lemon tree from a seed. It's a bush now but it has not bloomed. Does it take more than one plant to produce fruit? Gina Parker, Woodstock
A: Some citrus trees won't bloom until they get pretty big. My guess is that yours would have to be at least 5 feet tall to be established enough to flower. If you like the idea of growing your own citrus, buy a Meyer lemon plant. It will stay small but bear lemons each fall. Each spring, bring it gradually into full summer sun. Keep it indoors for winter but give it very bright light while inside.
Q: I have a three-year-old windmill palm near our pool. It has been growing great, but during our very cold snap I draped it with a tarp for a day. When I removed the tarp, the fronds were brown and brittle. Randy Wilt, Ball Ground
A: Established windmill palms can withstand temperatures a bit below 10 degrees Fahrenheit, but age can be a factor in tenderness. Although I would have expected yours to come through the recent cold weather with no problem, the brown fronds are certainly not a good sign. Wait until late April to make a final decision.
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