Q: I have several wax myrtle bushes that have brown leaves now, I assume from freeze damage. Do they need to be pruned or left alone? — Dan Kiser, Woodstock
A: I’d leave them alone until April, just to see if anything buds out. Wax myrtle is usually cold-hardy in Atlanta, but temperatures below 20 degrees can cause damage. Though many leaves may fall off now, my bet is that the limbs will put out more of them when things warm up in April.
Q: How do you feel about seeding a lawn with a mix of rye and fescue? Will ryegrass impact the fescue? —David Elliott, Atlanta
A: I don’t like the idea. Ryegrass dies in summer heat and it competes with fescue when both are germinating. Turf specialist Clint Waltz says, “Ryegrass will typically out-germinate tall fescue but the effect is usually insignificant. Under ideal conditions ryegrass germinates in five to 10 days and fescue in seven to 14 days. In few situations would a couple of days deviation make a real difference.”
Q: Is it a good practice to apply horticultural oil on shrubs and trees when they are dormant in order to prevent bugs this spring? — Claudette Genest, e-mail
A: Yes, applying plant-safe oil is a great way to kill insects in winter. At one time, thicker oils were recommended for winter use but lighter oils were better for use in summer.
Most oils nowadays have no temperature restrictions. The best time to apply an oil is on a warm winter afternoon when dormant insects are respiring; the oil easily suffocates them.
Q: During recent flooding in my backyard, many tree roots were exposed. I’m having some trees removed and the contractor will leave the chips on my site. Any thoughts on how thick to spread them? — Robby McGill, Cobb County
A: This is a great idea. The chips will eventually decompose to replace the topsoil that was washed away.
The layer should be no more than a couple of inches thick. In this way, no chemicals from the fresh sap will inhibit tree root growth.
Q: I planted ‘Pink Princess’ escallonia in early fall. They are all brown. What should I do? — Amy Nyman, Peachtree City
A: My bet is that they froze in January.
Escallonia is a beautiful flowering shrub but it is winter-hardy only where oleander grows: South Georgia and Florida, but not here.
Q: I want to use ornamental grass in pots to provide privacy around our deck. What might you suggest? — Mary Chase, Bartow County
A: I could easily see using fountain grass, Pennisetum (several species), or maiden grass, Miscanthus sinensis (several varieties), in 18-inch wide pots around the deck. For a color contrast, consider ‘Fireworks’ fountain grass. It has a burgundy midvein flanked by hot pink margins on each leaf. Although it can’t survive winter here, this annual grass is easy to find at garden centers each spring.
Listen to Walter Reeves from 6 to 10 Saturday mornings on WSB-AM (750). Visit his Web site, www.walterreeves.com, for detailed advice on Georgia gardening.
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