Q: I have a bad case of yellow jackets. They've built their hive among the roots of a nandina. Can I dig up the plant in fall and destroy the hives? — Dianne Dye, email
A: Yellow jacket nests don't survive winter. When frost approaches, a fertile queen will emerge from the nest and spend the winter under a pile of leaves or a rotten log. She'll emerge in spring, lay eggs in a likely spot and begin building a new nest. If you can be patient, cold weather will kill them all with no need to dig up the nandina.
Q: I grew both Big Boy and Better Boy plants in a small raised plot. While I got some fruit, the plants were very tall and the stalks were thin and grew to heights in excess of 8 feet. Was it a watering problem or a fertilizer problem? — Randy DeBolt
A: Assuming the plants were in full sun, I'd guess it had to do with fertilization. Extra nitrogen causes a plant to grow leaves and stems. Fertilizing too often causes a tomato to grow very tall without making many blooms.
Q: I'm considering planting Mexican petunia by my mailbox. However, I am reading where it can be very invasive and do not want it to overrun the azalea and hostas I have there now. What are your thoughts? — Avril Gordon, email
A: In my experience, the tall form of Mexican petunia, Ruellia brittoniana, will certainly spread quickly to fill a given space. It reproduces by seed as well as with underground runners. If nearby plants are short, this ruellia will shade them.
On the other hand, there are at least three varieties of ruellia that are dwarf forms: ‘Katie,’ ‘Chi Chi’ and ‘Bonita.’ All yield the nonstop flowering of the tall form but are much less aggressive to neighbors.
On the other other hand, Florida has named ruellia an invasive plant with potential to adversely affect native habitat. My advice is to use caution with this plant and remove unwanted seedlings as they occur. Ruellia tolerates wet spots very well. I have a clump growing in a pot submerged at the edge of a shallow pond.
Q: I went to a big-box store to pick up winter fertilizer to put on my bermuda in early September. All I could find was winterizer with weed control in it. That's not what I want to do. What analysis should I be looking for as an alternative? — John S., Gwinnett County
A: I can't keep up with every fertilizer the big-box stores sell, but I recently saw 35-0-5, 20-7-5, 24-0-11 and 18-24-12. Any of these should be fine if you follow label directions for application. I'm gratified that you know to apply winterizer in September, not in winter.
Q: Do you leave spiders on your garden plants? I don't like spiders and generally spray them or remove them if they are little. — Cathy Grove, email
A: Spiders don't hurt plants. They are beneficial to us and to plants because they capture insects such as leaf miners, beetles, moths and mosquitoes. If you don't like getting spider webs on your face (and who does?), clip a couple of short twiggy branches to hold in front of your head on your first trip through the garden each day.
