Q: I see bittersweet vines and berries used in decorating this time of year. Can we grow bittersweet here? -- Bonnie Kilpatrick
A: After I described how to propagate invasive Chinese privet in a recent column, I had to invent a self-flagellation machine to do penance. I'm not about to recommend you plant this equally encroaching vine. Oriental bittersweet, Celastrus orbiculatus, has pretty berries but it climbs over everything that gets in its way. Use the berries and vines if you find them but put them in the garbage after Christmas.
Q: What do I do with a lemon grass plant over the winter? I planted it this spring and it is huge! -- Elizabeth Cummings Hagood, Peachtree City
A: Lemongrass, Andropogon citratus, is a perennial plant in South Georgia but it is killed by winter cold in Atlanta gardens. Like most grasses, it prefers lots of light and semi-dry, warm soil. Those are tough to provide indoors in winter. Most local gardeners just buy new plants every spring. Preserve your current plant by removing the grassy leaves to expose the fragrant white stalk. Chop into pieces and freeze in an airtight jar to use for Asian recipes in winter.
Q: I've rooted some cuttings from a neighbor's Montauk daisies and they're now going dormant. Should I leave them in their little flower pots all winter? -- Patricia Bowen, Cherokee County
A: Montauk daisy, Nipponanthemum nipponicum, is usually perennial here but transplanting the little ones depends on how well the root system has developed. If the roots fill the pots, transplant to a sheltered location outdoors for winter, then move to a permanent spot in spring. If the roots are still tiny, it's best to keep them indoors. Like most daisies and chrysanthemums, this plant sprawls if left untrimmed. Once established, cut it back to six inches in late April and to twelve inches in July. The white flowers will be produced on compact stalks in fall.
Q: My grandmother was told that eating vegetable members of the nightshade family would exacerbate her arthritis. Which ones should she avoid? Why are they called nightshade? -- Emily Grey, Atlanta
A: The nightshade (solanum) family is very diverse, covering tobacco, jimson weed, angel trumpet and belladonna. It also includes tomato, eggplant, pepper and Irish potato. There are many chemicals in nightshade plants. A few of them are poisonous and some medical professionals believe the other chemicals can affect specific human diseases in small doses. Belladonna is known as deadly nightshade. Though belladonna means "beautiful woman" and solanum might refer to the sun, I can find nothing that explains why this family is called nightshade.
Q: My mother in Asheville, N.C., heard a professional landscaper say that she fertilizes pansies with oatmeal. Have you ever heard of this? -- Connie York, Atlanta
A: I've never heard of it before but I guess oatmeal could provide a bit of nutrition if it was mixed into the soil at planting. A half cup of oatmeal contains about six grams of protein. Protein contains nitrogen and that's what a pansy needs. But this would be impractical because the oatmeal has to be broken down by soil organisms before nitrogen becomes usable to a plant. In cold soil the organisms are not very active. Eat oatmeal for your breakfast and give your pansies commercial plant fertilizer.
Listen to Walter Reeves Saturday mornings on AM 750 and 95.5 FM News-Talk WSB. Visit his website, www.walterreeves.com, or join his Facebook Fan Page at xrl.us/wrfacebook for more garden tips.
