Q: Should I store all my bulbs in the crisper drawer in my spare refrigerator until cold weather planting time? — Hugh Stowers, email
A: There's rarely a need to chill bulbs in metro Atlanta. They will get plenty of chill time after you plant them. My preference would be to store them in a cool, dry place, but not in the refrigerator. If you have fresh fruits in the appliance, it will cause the bulb flowers to be malformed next year. If the refrigerator is not running, then that would be a nice, cool place to store them if need be.
Q: Can I plant asparagus crowns in the fall and be successful? — Amy Cruce, email
A: Asparagus is easy to grow here. Better yet, it is perennial, so you don't have to plant seed each year. Spend extra time making a deep, soft soil bed in which you plant individual root crowns. Asparagus plants are either male or female. Female plants produce more spears, but they are smaller than those on a male plant. Old-time varieties such as 'Mary Washington' or 'Martha Washington' are not nearly as productive as newer varieties. Look for 'Jersey Giant', 'Jersey Knight', or 'Jersey Prince'. They produce three times as much asparagus as older varieties.
Q: What are your thoughts on not amending the soil when planting a tree? — Bill McLane, email
A: Although it may seem contrary to common sense, research doesn't show much advantage to adding organic matter to soil before planting a tree. Tree roots tend to grow best in rich soil, but their roots should be encouraged to extend far beyond the initial planting area. Otherwise, they stay in the same spot you amended and will be susceptible to drought damage and poor anchoring. The best way to plant a tree is to loosen the soil in a wide area (at least 6 feet in diameter) and plant the tree in the middle. Roots will enjoy the loose soil for a few years but will continue growing beyond the area as the tree matures.
Q: Recently, we were looking at butterflies on our butterfly bush when we noticed something that looked like a large bee. It made a humming sound, so we thought it was a baby hummingbird. — Melissa Barth, Walton County
A: I'm reasonably sure you saw a hummingbird moth. It is one of the sphinx moths that drink flower nectar. They hover above flowers and "hum" much like a hummingbird. The most common sphinx moth caterpillar is the tobacco hornworm.
Q: I just finished chemically treating for armyworms after they damaged my newly sodded Bermuda. How do I bring the Bermuda to its green state that I had a few days ago? — Hector Almanza, Fayette County
A: Good news! Armyworms only eat the green grass blades, not the whole plant. The grass will recover its green color if you fertilize at half-strength now.
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