Q: When is the best time to move established hydrangeas? I have two that are being smothered by some larger hydrangeas. — Lilly Wynn, Carrollton
A: I think any time between December and mid-March is good for moving hydrangeas. If the soil is soft, you can almost pull them out of the ground bare-root. If the plants are old and large, shorten most limbs by half before you start digging. By doing so you won't have many flowers this summer but the shrub won't have so much water stress in July due to the lost roots. If the hydrangeas are only a couple of feet tall and wide, you can move them without pruning. In both cases, look for droopy hydrangea leaves on mid-summer mornings: It's a signal that the plant needs water before the hot sun hits it.
Q: I have some large pines in the yard that need some dead limbs taken out. Will the climbing spikes on a tree guy's boots hurt the tree? — Walt Gansser, email
A: The consensus among professional tree care companies is that climbing spikes do hurt trees and should be avoided unless there is no other option. Pines, in particular, are problematic because the wounds made by the spikes exude fresh sap, which is attractive to pine borers. A professional would only use spikes if the tree was slated to be removed soon.
Q: I've seen your recommendation to apply a pre-emergent on March 1. Is that just for the Atlanta area? When should I apply pre-emergent herbicide on the Georgia coast? — David Wood, Glynn County
A: Your instincts are right. Crabgrass wakes up earlier in warmer sites in our state. Crabgrass seeds germinate when soil temperatures tend upward from 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Weed scientists use 52 degrees at one-half inch deep as the trigger point for their application of pre-emergent herbicide. Soil temperatures in Brunswick hover around 50 degrees all winter, but a week of sunny weather can start the process of germination even though there won't be much growth for a few more weeks. In your location, the best time to apply a pre-emergent is early February, with another application in early May.
Q: We have moles digging up our yard. How do we get rid of them? — Allen Tothill, Cherokee County
A: Mole control partially depends on your own psychological makeup. If you are a Type A person who simply must see a dead mole, use a harpoon trap and prepare for daily visits to the affected lawn area and several repositionings of the trap over a two week period. But there is no guarantee you'll ever catch one of them. On the other hand, if you are a laid-back person, put on some old shoes and walk around your lawn and press the raised grass back into place. You won't kill the mole(s) in your yard but you will surely drive them out to some other grassy area in the neighborhood.
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