Q: I pulled brown, hard poison ivy vines from my azaleas. Needless to say, I have a rash in the middle of the winter. There are two roots so big and strong they won't budge from the ground. Please advise. Carol Roberts, email
A: The irritant oil of poison ivy, urusiol, is known to remain on the stems and roots for weeks if not years. I remember getting a terrible rash after carrying year-old firewood into my house one winter. Nothing much can hurt the roots now. I'd wait until spring and see what emerges from the stumps. Spray any sprouts with weed killer and be persistent about re-checking. I have details about poison ivy's fate in a compost pile at bit.ly/compostingivy
Q: I fear that my compost is not getting hot enough to kill weed seeds. I topdressed my asparagus bed and now they are full of weeds. Susan Shaw, Canton
A: It really takes work to get ALL of the weed seeds cooked in a compost pile. My bet is that some survived and were spread to the beds. However, asparagus experts at the University of Ohio say you can harvest asparagus for three weeks, cut all spears below ground level, then spray with herbicide to kill weeds. I have full details at bit.ly/weedasparagus.
Q: I did all the right things and now have beautiful fescue grass. When should I do the first mowing? Charles Russell, Roswell
A: The answer is simple: Mow when it needs it. This is typically when the grass gets four inches high, mowing down to three inches.
Q: I have searched the Internet looking for a variety of raspberry plant that is seedless. Does such a variety exist? Ken Gauthier, email
A: There are dozens of raspberry varieties on the market. Most are hybrids of the hundreds of members of the Rubus genus. Some raspberries are sold as "seedless". European raspberry, Rubus idaeus, is an example but my guess is that it simply has small seeds. Let me know how it goes if you try this raspberry. I'm not sure it can tolerate our hot summers.
Q: After this year's rains, we have a lovely moss lawn. Can you recommend a pre-emergent we could use that would be unfriendly to potential weed growth but not harm the moss? The Shufords, Conyers
A: Pre-emergents are chemicals that prevent seeds from germinating. Since moss reproduces by spores, theoretically a pre-emergent should keep weeds at bay while allowing moss to grow freely. But a pre-emergent is also a "chemical," and the effect of pre-emergents on moss has not been tested anywhere as far as I can tell. Try dithiopyr (Halts) on a small section of your "lawn" in March and let me know your results in June.
Q: I bought several plants recently that were great buys: althea, crepe myrtle, camellia, azalea, magnolias and rhododendron. We are having grading done for a new driveway and retaining walls. What is the best way to take care of the plants in the meantime? Melanie Madden, email
A: You can heel in the shrubs. Dig a long trench a foot deep and put a line of bricks in the bottom to set the pots on. This keeps the roots above any water that accumulates in the trench. Put your plants and pots in place and stuff leaves around them. Water the evergreens when it's windy and plant them as the landscaping job allows.
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