Q: I am planning to use maiden grass, Miscanthus sinensis, as a screen between my house and a neighbor’s. Will it be OK to plant them in late September or better to wait until spring? Mary Newcome, Young Harris
A: Maiden grass is a very attractive ornamental grass. The light green, narrow leaves arch nicely. The tan seed heads turn silver in winter and are quite a sight when frost touches them. The only care the grass needs is to be cut to six inches high in late winter before new growth begins. Most experts recommend planting ornamental grasses in the spring rather than winter.
Q: This summer I had beautiful tomato plants with loads of fruit. Problem is, after I pick them they begin to get blackish spots and rot right away. Penny Pirkle, Stockbridge
A: Your symptoms sound like you have stink bugs or leaf-footed bugs in the garden. Both insects insert a piercing, sucking mouth part into a tomato skin and suck out the juice. This can introduce bacteria inside the tomato, which causes quick rotting. Look online for pictures of both bugs in all stages of life and keep a sharp eye out in June next year. It is easy to control them when they are young, using a garden insecticide. It's a much tougher job when they are mature.
Q: My camellias have reached ten feet tall and are getting bare on the lower branches. Would five feet be too low to prune them? Will they resprout on the lower bare limbs? Jack Sweeney, Marietta
A: If they are healthy, there should be no problem in doing such a severe pruning. You'll get the best results by pruning in late winter, just before the weather warms up. However, most of the resprouting will occur within just 12 inches of where you cut the central stems off. In other words if you cut them down to five feet, there won't be any resprouting on the lower four feet of the trunk. You will get very vigorous upward growth on the sprouts that do form near your cut. Clip them back regularly to avoid the situation you find yourself in now.
Q: Our ranch-style house is built on a slab, primarily one level. In an average year, we may find two or three scorpions indoors. But since the beginning of September we've started finding them almost daily, in all parts of the house! Elizabeth Darsey, Henry County
A: If they are in the house, they must have accidentally come in from outdoors. They are solitary creatures and indoors holds no attraction for them. Scorpions usually live in mulch, eating small insects like immature roaches and crickets. Your best course of action is to spray a landscape insecticide on the lower part of your home's walls and out from the slab a couple of feet. This will kill both the scorpions and their food source. Examine the siding to make sure there are no places a scorpion could enter the house.
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