Q: I'm trying to simplify things as much as possible, and I love caladiums. This past winter I left the bulbs planted in a container in my basement but they rotted. Anything else I can try? Megan Hart, Atlanta
A: You're right that rot probably caused the corms to deteriorate. Caladiums originated in South America and are very sensitive to soil temperature and moisture, both while growing and while in storage. The best way to keep them alive in a container is to remove the leaves just before the first frost and store the pots in an upstairs closet where it stays warm all winter. Bring the pots out in March, place in a sunny window, and give them water. It will take five weeks for new growth to emerge above the soil. By that time it should be warm enough to put them outdoors.
Q: Am I going to have to cut down the wisteria on my pergola to get rid of the massive amount of kudzu bugs hanging out on it? The wisteria is just starting to bloom. Laura York, Milton
A: I hate to destroy a pretty vine due to the bugs. You can manage their numbers by spraying with any landscape insecticide (Ortho Bug B Gon, Bayer Home Pest Control, Bonide Beetle Killer, etc). Spray thoroughly now, making sure to wear protective clothing when spraying overhead. Inspect the vine in ten days and spray again if more kudzu bugs are seen. You won't eliminate them entirely but a few here and there won't be much of a bother.
Q: I have been enjoying my pansies and violas during the winter. How long will they continue to bloom? I hate to replace them for summer annuals if I can keep them blooming through summer. Gay Bailey, email
A: Heat will eventually be their undoing. The plants will grow long, lanky and unbecoming. There's no reason you can't enjoy them as long as possible and then pull them out and replace with petunia, begonia or lantana.
Q: I have annual bluegrass in my zoysia lawn. Will it do any good to dig up these plants? B. A. Lindberg, DeKalb County
A: They have already dropped thousands of seeds. It's best to wait until mid-September and control with a pre-emergent. Remember that it is critical to apply at the correct time and to water the chemical into the soil afterward.
Q: I've been battling inchworms in my Japanese maple for five years. They decimate the leaves and get all over everyone when they come up the walkway. Is there anything that can be sprayed to control them? Al Fritsch, email
A: Inchworms, also known as cankerworms, love to eat maple foliage. Pupae overwinter in the litter beneath a tree. The wingless females crawl up the trunk and deposit eggs on small stems and leaves. The eggs hatch into caterpillars and immediately start chewing the greenery. If the worms are already present, spray the tree with Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t, Dipel, Caterpillar Killer, etc). The worms will immediately stop feeding. If they haven't yet emerged, wrap the trunk with a band of duct tape four inches wide and cover it with a sticky product like Tanglefoot. Check it for adult moths every week. The band can be removed in June.
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